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The Biology of Panic Disorder

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Part of the book series: The Depressive Illness Series ((DISS,volume 4))

Abstract

The burgeoning amount of knowledge recently accumulated about the biology of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia (termed collectively PD) may prompt concern for falling into the “blind men feeling the elephant” trap. A plethora of biochemical compounds capable of inducing panic and other severe anxiety states not only supports a biological component in panic disorder, but also tests our definitions of clinical panic states. We are presented the challenge of differentiating primary pathogenesis from secondary and less specific changes in a complex interplay of biological systems.

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Coplan, J.D., Papp, L.A., Gorman, J.M. (1993). The Biology of Panic Disorder. In: Mann, J.J., Kupfer, D.J. (eds) Biology of Depressive Disorders. The Depressive Illness Series, vol 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9501-1_8

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