Acceso usuarios
K. Jakuszkowiak Wojten, Jerzy Landowski, M.S. Wiglusz, Wiesław-Jerzy Cubała
Background Impulsivity is a key feature of numerous psychiatric disorders. However, the relationship between impulsivity and anxiety disorders is arguable and not well explored. Several methodological considerations related to data interpretation arise when patients previously exposed to psychotropic medication are included in the study population. To address those issues we designed a study in a well defined cohort of treatment-naïve panic disorder patients.
Material and methods This case-control study was designed to evaluate impulsivity and its dimensions in the group of 21 psychotropic drug-naïve outpatients with panic disorder and 20 healthy controls. The severity of Panic Disorder was assessed with Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS). Impulsiveness was evaluated with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, 11th version (BIS-11).
Results According to our study patients with panic disorders had higher level of both total impulsivity and all impulsivity dimensions comparing to healthy controls.
Limitations The number of participating subjects was relatively small. The study results apply to drug-naïve panic disorder patients without agoraphobia.
Conclusion Opposing to the traditional conceptualizations suggesting that impulsivity displays a negative relationship with anxiety this study provides evidence for higher level of impulsivity in drug-naïve patients with panic disorder comparing to healthy controls.
