Impact of Panic on Psychophysiological and Neural Reactivity to Unpredictable Threat in Depression and Anxiety

Abstract

Exaggerated anxious responding to unpredictable threat (U-threat) is a core feature of panic disorder (PD). However, it is unknown whether this abnormality is specific to the diagnosis of PD or would manifest along a continuum of panic symptomatology (PS). In addition, little is known about the neural processes underlying this abnormality among those high in PS. Finally, no studies have tested whether startle potentiation and limbic neural reactivity—commonly used indices of U-threat responsivity—are associated and therefore reflect common abnormalities. These questions were investigated in 42 adults with a range of PS. U-threat responding was measured twice during threat of shock—once with startle and once with functional magnetic resonance imaging. As hypothesized, PS positively predicted startle potentiation and dACC reactivity to U-threat. Startle potentiation and dACC activation to U-threat were positively associated. These results suggest a biobehavioral profile of aberrant responding to U-threat associated with PS.