HOW DOES INTEROCEPTIVE EXPOSURE FOR PANIC DISORDER WORK - AN UNCONTROLLED CASE-STUDY

To examine the influence of interoceptive exposure (LE) when used alon e in the treatment of Panic Disorder (PD), 17 PD patients were present ed with six IE sessions, using 35% CO2 as the exposure medium. The dat a indicate that IE alone is effective in reducing panic, panic-related fears, and general anxiety. However, the positive effects of IE do no t appear to extend to agoraphobia, related fears, or depressed mood. T wo distinct within-session patterns of fear response to IE were noted, one indicating habituation and the other indicating a lack of fear re duction. Although both patterns were associated with reductions in pan ic and anxiety following IE, the Habituators appeared to have a more p ositive outcome, which occurred more rapidly. These data suggest that IE may operate via two different pathways. Implications for understand ing fear reduction are discussed, along with directions for future stu dy. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.