FAMILY HISTORY OF PANIC DISORDER AND HYPERSENSITIVITY TO CO2 IN PATIENTS WITH PANIC DISORDER

Objective: The authors investigated the relationships between hypersen sitivity to CO2 and familial-genetic risk for panic disorder in patien ts with panic disorder. Method: Morbidity risks for panic disorder wer e calculated for families of 203 patients with panic disorder, each of whom was challenged with 35% CO2. Results: Patients who reacted with a positive response to the 35% CO2 challenge showed a genetic risk for panic disorder (morbidity risk=14.4%) that was significantly higher t han that for patients who did not react (morbidity risk=3.9%). Conclus ions: These findings support the idea that hypersensitivity to CO2 mig ht be associated with a subtype of panic disorder specifically related to a greater familial loading.