Title:Evoked Potential in Panic Disorder Patients: A Systematic Review
Volume: 14
Issue: 7
Author(s): Luiza Medeiros Wanick Di Giorgio, Bruna Brandao Velasques, Pedro Ribeiro, Antonio Egidio Nardi and Marcele Regine de Carvalho
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Electroencephalogram, neurobiology, P300, panic disorder.
Abstract: Researchers have been using the electroencephalogram to better understand the cognitive and neurobiological
bases of panic disorder (PD) through the P300 component; this is an electric potential of the cerebral cortex that is
generated in response to external sensorial stimuli and which involves more complex neurophysiological processes related
to stimulus interpretation; it is then used to investigate possible alterations in the information processing and attention of
patients suffering from this disorder. Aiming to verify the results found by experimental articles already published about
P300 in PD patients and the information processing differences between PD patients and healthy controls, a
systematic review of the PubMed and Institute for Scientific Information databases was conducted. The selection
criterion involved those articles, written in English, which referred to an experimental research that focused
on the P300 component, with a sample composed of PD (or panic attacks) patients. Seven articles were found that
fit the selected criteria. Most of the articles show that these patients suffer from: impaired information processing and
attention, an inability to automatically respond to new stimuli, and impaired interpretation of internal and external stimuli
related to the disorder. Such impairment may be related to an unspecified dysfunction in the limbic-reticular structures,
which would affect: active, focused and short-term attention, working and short-term memory, recognition and decision
making. Some limitations were highlighted, such as the use of small samples and possible comorbidity with other
disorders, which did not allow clearer results. This research can contribute to understand the neurobiological
differences of PD patients and develop treatments based on such evidence.
