Family history of panic disorder and hypersensitivity to CO2 in patients with panic disorder.

Abstract

The authors investigated the relationships between hypersensitivity to CO2 and familial-genetic risk for panic disorder in patients with panic disorder. Morbidity risks for panic disorder were calculated for families of 203 patients with panic disorder, each of whom was challenged with 35% CO2. 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 than that for patients who did not react (morbidity risk = 3.9%). These findings support the idea that hypersensitivity to CO2 might be associated with a subtype of panic disorder specifically related to a greater familial loading.