Interoceptive hypersensitivity as prognostic factor among patients with panic disorder...

The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the acute-phase treatment of panic disorder is well established. However, there are data to show CBT may not always be able to prevent recurrence after treatment. The central cognitive component of panic disorder psychopathology is thought to be hypersensitivity to physical sensations. The present study reports that some aspects of interoceptive hypersensitivity, gastrointestinal fears in particular, were predictive of the course of panic disorder after end of CBT. Clinically it is suggested that new interoceptive tasks related to gastrointestinal fears are needed. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry. 2010 Sep;41(3):325-9. Epub 2010 Mar 20. Ogawa S, Furukawa TA, Nakano Y, Funayama T, Watanabe N, Noguchi Y, Sasaki M. Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan. seiogawa1964@nifty.com