Panic disorder and the heart

Overview

The paper concerns itself with itsmanifestation and the possible etiology of the frequent presenceof cardiovascular symptomatology in panic disorder (prolapse of the mitral valve, etc.). Analyzedis the panic attack as an exclusive equivalent of the panic disorder, as well as its psychosomaticrelation with „the heart“. Frequent intensive paresthesias in the chest along with other signs ofthe panic attack forces the author to rule out their organic cause. There are parallels (at firstpathobiochemical - affecting the neurotransmitters) between a neurovegetative stormdefining thepanic attack, and cardiovascular symptomatology. From the neurobiological and psychosomaticaspects it seems that in panic disorder the heart frequently becomes the target of its strikingclinical picture which should be assessed with an interdisciplinary approach.

Key words:
panic disorder - cardiovascular symptoms.