CLINICAL RECOVERY FROM PANIC DISORDER IS ASSOCIATED WITH EVIDENCE OF CHANGES IN CARDIOVASCULAR REGULATION

Cardiovascular measures (spectral derivatives of heart rate variabilit y, the blood pressure response to standing and plasma noradrenaline le vels) have been shown to change as clinical recovery follows the treat ment of panic disorder patients with either imipramine or cognitive th erapy. These findings can be interpreted as evidence of changes in bar oreflex modulation, an important feature of the cardiovascular express ion of arousal. This offers further evidence of a dysregulation of aro usal in this disorder.