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Treatment of cocaine-induced panic disorder

1989; American Psychiatric Association; Volume: 146; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1176/ajp.146.1.40

1535-7228

Alan K. Louie, R A Lannon, Terence A. Ketter,

Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

The authors describe 10 patients who developed panic attacks only after substantial cocaine use. The timing of the onset of symptoms, i.e., after 1-6 years of cocaine use, and the fact that only one patient had a first-degree relative with panic disorder were more suggestive of acquired than primary panic disorder. The patients' atypical symptoms and responses to medications may be explained in terms of limbic-neuronal hyperexcitability induced by cocaine through a kindling mechanism.