ARE RESPIRATORY ABNORMALITIES SPECIFIC FOR PANIC DISORDER? A META-ANALYSIS
(27 maggio 2014) La prestigiosa rivista internazionale Neuropsychobiology (Impact Factor 2012: 2,37) ha accettato per la pubblicazione un articolo che dimostra come le anomalie respiratorie siano specifiche peril disturbo di panico rispetto agli altri disturbi d'ansia. L'articolo è firmato da Giampaolo Perna e il team di ricerca della congregazione delle suore ospedaliere.
Il titolo dell'articolo è "Are respiratory abnormalities specific for panic disorder? a meta-analysis” che ha come autori: Massimiliano Grassi, Daniela Caldirola, Valentina di Chiaro, Alice Riva, Silvia Daccò, Maurizio Pompili & Giampaolo Perna.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: There is evidence of baseline respiratory abnormalities in Panic Disorder (PD) but whether they are specific to PD remains unclear. To investigate this issue, we meta-analyzed results from studies comparing baseline respiratory and hematic variables between subjects with PD and subjects with other anxiety disorders. Methods: A literature research in bibliographic databases was performed. Fixed-effects models were applied. Several moderator analyses and publication bias diagnostics were performed. Results: We found: 1) significantly lower mean et-pCO2 in subjects with PD than in those with Social Phobia (SP) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD); 2) higher mean respiratory rate, lower venous et-pCO2 and HCO3- concentration in subjects with PD than in those with SP. No publication bias was found. Conclusions: Subjects with PD show a condition of baseline hyperventilation when compared to subjects with SP or GAD. Hematic variables suggested that the hyperventilation may be chronic. These results support the idea that baseline respiratory abnormalities are specific to PD pathophysiology. Further studies are needed to clarify whether these abnormalities are related to a malfunction of the respiratory system or to specific cognitive/emotional/behavioral factors in this population.
