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Lack of association between joint hyperlaxity and, I: panic disorder, and II: reactivity to carbon dioxide in healthy volunteers
Author(s) -
Benjamin Jonathan,
BenZion Itzhak Z,
Dan Pinhas,
Schreiber Shaul,
Meiri Gal,
Ofek Andre,
Palatnik Alex
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.234
Subject(s) - panic , panic disorder , anxiety , anxiety disorder , medicine , psychology , psychiatry
This study attempted to replicate previous reports of associations between panic disorder and joint hyperlaxity. The authors also examined possible associations between reacitivity to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a model for panic vulnerability, and hyperlaxity in healthy volunteers. One hundred and one patients with DSM‐IV panic disorder and 39 healthy volunteers were assessed for hyperlaxity by Beighton's criteria. Healthy volunteers also received two vital capacity inhalations of CO 2 . Thirteen (13%) patients had five or more hyperlax joints. This rate did not differ from that in the healthy volunteers. Anxiety in healthy volunteers, as measured by the NIMH self‐rating scale, DSM‐IV panic symptom scores, and 100 mm visual analog scales of anxiety, increased after CO 2 from a mean of 1.8 to 2.8 (not significant); from 0.5 to 4 ( p < 0.001) and from 8.7 to 11.6 mm ( p < 0.1), respectively. There were no associations between responses to CO 2 and hyperlaxity. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.