Psychopharmacology

, Volume 114, Issue 3, pp 449–455 | Cite as

Pentagastrin induced panic attacks: enhanced sensitivity in panic disorder patients

  • Harold J. G. M. van Megen
  • Herman G. M. Westenberg
  • Johan A. den Boer
  • Jeremy R. M. Haigh
  • Michael Traub
Original Investigations
Received:
Revised:

Abstract

The effects of pentagastrin, a synthetic analogue of the cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK4), were studied in 15 patients with panic disorder and 15 healthy controls. Three different intravenous dosages of pentagastrin (0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 µg/kg) and saline were investigated. Subjects were randomly allocated to two of the four treatment groups and tested on two separate occasions, 1 week apart, using an unbalanced double-blind incomplete block design. The mean panic rate with pentagastrin was 55% (12/22) for patients and 5% (1/22) for controls. None of the subjects panicked with saline. The frequency of panic attacks between the three pentagastrin doses in patients was not different. One control subject had a panic-like attack at the highest dose of pentagastrin. These findings concur with previous studies on the panicogenic effect of CCK4 and pentagastrin and suggest a greater sensitivity for CCK receptor agonists in patients suffering from panic disorder than in healthy controls.

Key words

Cholecystokinin Pentagastrin Panic disorder Pharmacological challenge 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1994

Authors and Affiliations

  • Harold J. G. M. van Megen
    • 1
  • Herman G. M. Westenberg
    • 1
  • Johan A. den Boer
    • 1
  • Jeremy R. M. Haigh
    • 2
  • Michael Traub
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Biological PsychiatryAcademic Hospital UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
  2. 2.Neuroscience Research CentreHarlowUK

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