Anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.

The psychophysiological model of panic attacks postulates a positive feedback loop between anxiety symptoms and the patient's anxious reaction to these symptoms. We tested the underlying assumption that the appraisal of bodily change can induce anxiety in this patient group. Twenty-five patient...

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Main Authors: Ehlers, A, Margraf, J, Roth, W, Taylor, C, Birbaumer, N
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 1988
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author Ehlers, A
Margraf, J
Roth, W
Taylor, C
Birbaumer, N
author_facet Ehlers, A
Margraf, J
Roth, W
Taylor, C
Birbaumer, N
author_sort Ehlers, A
collection OXFORD
description The psychophysiological model of panic attacks postulates a positive feedback loop between anxiety symptoms and the patient's anxious reaction to these symptoms. We tested the underlying assumption that the appraisal of bodily change can induce anxiety in this patient group. Twenty-five patients with panic disorder or agoraphobia with panic attacks (DSM-III) and 25 matched normal controls were given false feedback of an abrupt heart rate increase. Self-ratings of anxiety and excitement, heart rate, skin conductance level, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were taken. On all measures, patients who believed that the feedback was accurate (N = 19) responded differently to the false feedback than controls (N = 16). Patients showed increases in anxiety and physiological arousal. The preceding true heart rate feedback did not induce changes in anxiety. Patients and controls did not differ in their accuracy of heart rate perception. The results underline the role of appraisal processes and the fear of anxiety symptoms in panic disorder. © 1988.
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spelling oxford-uuid:54fe1425-c8de-4754-bdee-629f1e0c6ae82022-03-26T16:41:11ZAnxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:54fe1425-c8de-4754-bdee-629f1e0c6ae8EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1988Ehlers, AMargraf, JRoth, WTaylor, CBirbaumer, NThe psychophysiological model of panic attacks postulates a positive feedback loop between anxiety symptoms and the patient's anxious reaction to these symptoms. We tested the underlying assumption that the appraisal of bodily change can induce anxiety in this patient group. Twenty-five patients with panic disorder or agoraphobia with panic attacks (DSM-III) and 25 matched normal controls were given false feedback of an abrupt heart rate increase. Self-ratings of anxiety and excitement, heart rate, skin conductance level, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were taken. On all measures, patients who believed that the feedback was accurate (N = 19) responded differently to the false feedback than controls (N = 16). Patients showed increases in anxiety and physiological arousal. The preceding true heart rate feedback did not induce changes in anxiety. Patients and controls did not differ in their accuracy of heart rate perception. The results underline the role of appraisal processes and the fear of anxiety symptoms in panic disorder. © 1988.
spellingShingle Ehlers, A
Margraf, J
Roth, W
Taylor, C
Birbaumer, N
Anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.
title Anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.
title_full Anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.
title_fullStr Anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.
title_full_unstemmed Anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.
title_short Anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder.
title_sort anxiety induced by false heart rate feedback in patients with panic disorder
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AT margrafj anxietyinducedbyfalseheartratefeedbackinpatientswithpanicdisorder
AT rothw anxietyinducedbyfalseheartratefeedbackinpatientswithpanicdisorder
AT taylorc anxietyinducedbyfalseheartratefeedbackinpatientswithpanicdisorder
AT birbaumern anxietyinducedbyfalseheartratefeedbackinpatientswithpanicdisorder