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The cardiac anxiety syndrome — a subtype of panic attacks

European archives of psychiatry and neurological sciences volume 235, pages 146–152 (1985)Cite this article

Summary

Cardiac anxiety syndrome and the diagnosis of cardiac neurosis respectively are characterized by panic attacks. Panic attacks are the core syndrome of a validated anxiety disorder (panic disorder). The purpose of this study was to investigate if the cardiac anxiety syndrome represents a separate disorder or if it is only a subtype of panic attacks.

In a sample of 122 patients with panic attacks, all patients with a cardiac anxiety syndrome were selected (n = 31). Furthermore, parallel to this group—matched in the variables age and sex—a second group of patients with no cardiac anxiety syndrome was selected. There were no significant differences in course; in clinical phenomenology, patients with a cardiac anxiety syndrome were only distinguished by a greater intensity of somatization and phobic avoidance from patients with no cardiac anxiety syndrome. These results confirm the hypothesis that the cardiac anxiety syndrome is a subtype of panic attacks and does not represent a separate disorder.

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Affiliations

  1. Psychiatrische Klinik, Universität Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, D-6500, Mainz, Germany

    Wolfgang Maier, Raimund Buller, Hubert Rieger & Otto Benkert

Authors
  1. Wolfgang Maier
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  2. Raimund Buller
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  3. Hubert Rieger
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  4. Otto Benkert
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Maier, W., Buller, R., Rieger, H. et al. The cardiac anxiety syndrome — a subtype of panic attacks. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 235, 146–152 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380985

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380985

Key words

  • Anxiety neurosis
  • Cardiac neurosis
  • Phobia
  • Depression
  • Panic attacks
  • Classification