Panic disorder in 3.6% of the Mexican population

• May 20, 2024

Around the 3.6% of the general population of Mexicans suffer from panic , reported the Health Secretary (SSA); This disease is characterized by the appearance of unexpected and recurrent panic attacks with episodes of fear Sudden apprehension or discomfort suddenly reached its maximum intensity in the first 10 minutes.

According to the results of the study Evaluation of cognitive functions: attention and memory in patients with panic disorder, performed by researchers from the National Institute of Psychiatry and the UNAM, this condition affects verbal memory and executive functions, that is, the ability to solve problems that require the internal strategic search for words and sounds.

Patients show significant alterations in tasks that require the ability to change the focus of attention, inhibit inappropriate responses, flexibility in the cognitive processes , memory a short term and to channel their cognitive resources into another type of activity of greater benefit in daily life, such as working memory, because they almost constantly occupy the content of their work. cognition in the imagination of great tragedies Y catastrophes , including the possibility of his own death.

The researchers Elizabeth Palomares Castillo , Patricia Edith Campos Coy , Elsa Tirado Duran Y Danelia Mendieta Cabrera , of the Applied Psychophysiology Service of the National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, as well as Feggy Ostrosky Shejet , from the Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Psychophysiology of the Faculty of Psychology of the UNAM, detailed that patients have deficiencies in verbal and non-verbal fluency, semantics Y phonological . On the other hand, in the visual screening test, it took more time to identify the correct figure.

In addition to the alterations caused by the disorder of panic , some of the patients also have other psychiatric problems such as major depression, social phobia , generalized anxiety disorder and substance abuse.

Whoever suffers from a panic disorder has palpitations, shakes of the heart or elevation of heart rate, sweating, tremors, shortness of breath, shortness of breath or choking, tightness or chest discomfort, nausea or abdominal discomfort, instability, dizziness or fainting; depersonalization, fear of to lose control or go crazy, to die, chills and suffocations.

After a month of the appearance of the crisis they have other complications like restlessness persistent before the possibility of suffering an episode of TP, that is, anticipatory anxiety; concern about the consequences, such as fear of losing control, suffering a myocardial infarction or "going crazy". In addition, there is a significant change in behavior such as Avoidance behaviors .

PT is often accompanied by agoraphobia or fear of being left alone in public places, especially those that could be difficult to leave quickly if the person experiences a crisis of anguish, or in those situations or places where they have presented a panic attack , which interferes significantly in the quality of life of patients.

Anxiety crises are caused by the existence of a «fear network»Extremely sensitive, which focuses on the amygdala and its interactions with the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex .

Finally, the researchers consider that the evaluation neuropsychological is relevant to obtain an objective assessment that allows knowing the cognitive and behavioral skills and deficits of patients with psychiatric disorders to make a prediction about the course of the disease, choose the type of treatment objectively, as well as establish strategies that improve the prognosis of the disorder.

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