BEHAVIORAL AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOR ALTERED PROCESSING OF ANXIETY-RELATED WORDS IN PANIC DISORDER

Body-related and nonsomatic words were presented tachistoscopically to 15 panic patients and 15 healthy controls at each participant's thres hold for correctly identifying 50% of neutral words. Behavioral (propo rtion of words correctly recognized) and electrocortical (event-relate d brain potentials [ERPs]) measures were registered. Panic patients re cognized more body-related than nonsomatic words, and body-related as compared with nonsomatic words elicited, in these patients, significan tly larger P300 amplitudes and enhanced positive slow waves (600 to 80 0 ms after stimulus presentation). In healthy controls, the number of correct recognized words and the ERPs were not differentially affected by the 2 word types. These results are grossly consistent with cognit ive models of panic disorders, assuming that certain bodily sensations are perceived and processed in an affective manner that differentiate s panic patients from healthy controls.