Vestibular Dysfunction In Adult Patients With Panic Disorder With or Without Agoraphobia

Overview

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether the prevalence of abnormalities on clinical vestibular (balance) tests is higher in panic disorder with agoraphobia than in uncomplicated panic disorder and nonpanic anxiety disorder. II. Determine whether the prevalence of abnormalities on audiological tests of cochlear or brainstem function is elevated in panic disorder without agoraphobia or nonpanic anxiety disorder. III. Determine whether symptom patterns can be identified that are indicative of vestibular abnormalities in panic disorder. IV. Determine whether vestibular dysfunction can be induced by psychosomatic mechanisms.

PROTOCOL OUTLINE: Patients are stratified by otoneurological function (panic disorder without agoraphobia, panic disorder with agoraphobia, anxiety disorder without panic or agoraphobia-like avoidance, and normal controls). Patients undergo a psychiatric interview and a structured interview focused on anxiety disorders. Physical evaluation is completed. A vestibular evaluation consisting of posturography, rotational testing, and ocular motor screening battery, and positional and caloric testing is completed on all patients. Patients then complete an audiological test battery consisting of basic audiological analysis, speech recognition scores, immittance testing, brainstem evoked response, and determination of binaural masking level differences. Control patients also complete a hyperventilation-rotational test.

Conditions