New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray
Panic disorder patients are vulnerable to recurrent panic attacks. Two neurochemical hypotheses have been proposed to explain this susceptibility. The first assumes that panic patients have deficient serotonergic inhibition of neurons localized in the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter of the midbrai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica
2012-04-01
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| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2012000400011 |
| _version_ | 1819241814540943360 |
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| author | F.G. Graeff |
| author_facet | F.G. Graeff |
| author_sort | F.G. Graeff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Panic disorder patients are vulnerable to recurrent panic attacks. Two neurochemical hypotheses have been proposed to explain this susceptibility. The first assumes that panic patients have deficient serotonergic inhibition of neurons localized in the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter of the midbrain that organize defensive reactions to cope with proximal threats and of sympathomotor control areas of the rostral ventrolateral medulla that generate most of the neurovegetative symptoms of the panic attack. The second suggests that endogenous opioids buffer normal subjects from the behavioral and physiological manifestations of the panic attack, and their deficit brings about heightened suffocation sensitivity and separation anxiety in panic patients, making them more vulnerable to panic attacks. Experimental results obtained in rats performing one-way escape in the elevated T-maze, an animal model of panic, indicate that the inhibitory action of serotonin on defense is connected with activation of endogenous opioids in the periaqueductal gray. This allows reconciliation of the serotonergic and opioidergic hypotheses of panic pathophysiology, the periaqueductal gray being the fulcrum of serotonin-opioid interaction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:29:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-02f5bde3ed0244f09d7d0e0042b65a1d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0100-879X 1414-431X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:29:53Z |
| publishDate | 2012-04-01 |
| publisher | Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-02f5bde3ed0244f09d7d0e0042b65a1d2022-12-21T17:43:31ZengAssociação Brasileira de Divulgação CientíficaBrazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research0100-879X1414-431X2012-04-01454366375New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal grayF.G. GraeffPanic disorder patients are vulnerable to recurrent panic attacks. Two neurochemical hypotheses have been proposed to explain this susceptibility. The first assumes that panic patients have deficient serotonergic inhibition of neurons localized in the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter of the midbrain that organize defensive reactions to cope with proximal threats and of sympathomotor control areas of the rostral ventrolateral medulla that generate most of the neurovegetative symptoms of the panic attack. The second suggests that endogenous opioids buffer normal subjects from the behavioral and physiological manifestations of the panic attack, and their deficit brings about heightened suffocation sensitivity and separation anxiety in panic patients, making them more vulnerable to panic attacks. Experimental results obtained in rats performing one-way escape in the elevated T-maze, an animal model of panic, indicate that the inhibitory action of serotonin on defense is connected with activation of endogenous opioids in the periaqueductal gray. This allows reconciliation of the serotonergic and opioidergic hypotheses of panic pathophysiology, the periaqueductal gray being the fulcrum of serotonin-opioid interaction.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2012000400011PanicAnimal modelPeriaqueductal graySerotoninOpioids |
| spellingShingle | F.G. Graeff New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research Panic Animal model Periaqueductal gray Serotonin Opioids |
| title | New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray |
| title_full | New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray |
| title_fullStr | New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray |
| title_full_unstemmed | New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray |
| title_short | New perspective on the pathophysiology of panic: merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray |
| title_sort | new perspective on the pathophysiology of panic merging serotonin and opioids in the periaqueductal gray |
| topic | Panic Animal model Periaqueductal gray Serotonin Opioids |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2012000400011 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fggraeff newperspectiveonthepathophysiologyofpanicmergingserotoninandopioidsintheperiaqueductalgray |