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In humans, adverse physical and/or psychological traumas in childhood may predispose to developing psychiatric disorders in adulthood, including panic disorder. To model early life adversity in mice, we subjected male and female C57BL/6 J mice to a limited bedding and nesting (LBN) protocol between postnatal days 2–9 and investigated its effect on responsiveness to panicogenic challenges in adulthood. Panic‐like escape behaviour was assessed during exposure to a high concentration of CO2 (20%) or in the beetle mania task (BMT), used to model respiratory and non‐respiratory‐related types of panic respectively. Neonatal exposure to LBN increased panic‐like jumping during the CO2 challenge in male but not female mice. In an initial pharmacological validation of the BMT as a panic‐inducing paradigm, undirected jumping and horizontal escape behaviours were reduced significantly by the panicolytic alprazolam (0.05 and 0.1mg.kg−1 i.p.) whilst tolerance to the close proximity of the aversive robo‐beetle increased. The anxiolytic diazepam (1 mg.kg−1 i.p.) reduced only the number of horizontal escape attempts. In both sexes, previous experience of LBN significantly enhanced the number of horizontal escape episodes, indicating a pro‐panic phenotype. Directed escape to access a safe ledge on the wall of the test arena, which was seen only in males, was also reduced significantly following LBN. These findings indicate that early life adversity produced by fragmented and unpredictable maternal care promotes a sex‐specific increase in susceptibility to panic‐like behaviour in adulthood. Whilst non‐respiratory‐related panic‐like behaviour was enhanced in both sexes, females were resilient to respiratory‐related challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a bid to transform social and political circumstances by instilling outsized fear, terrorists orchestrate atrocities that are unsettling, unanticipated and preclude effective countermeasures. Utilising the critical case of explosive devices – the leading method of 'pure' terrorism – this article analyses an important, yet underexplored, dimension of this process: the weaponisation of the familiar and everyday. By repurposing ubiquitous, banal artefacts to conceal, manufacture or serve as destructive instruments, terrorists nurture vulnerability, inflict psychic trauma and produce conditions of ontological and social entropy where the surrounding environment appears unstable, corrupted and on the brink of rupture. Rather than a subsidiary dimension of asymmetrical conflict, it is argued that these dynamics are central to terrorism's organising logic. Accentuating them can, therefore, deepen understanding of the phenomenon's fearsome effectuation and ability to produce extreme discrepancy between risk and response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBen Bernanke first referred to Walter Bagehot’s Lombard Street when he was in the chair of the Board of Governors, and when the Federal Reserve responded to the global financial crisis that began in August 2007. While the literature has dealt with the practice of the Federal Reserve and its compliance or otherwise with Bagehot’s rules, it has not detailed Bernanke’s theory of lending in last resort and the underlying interpretation of Bagehot’s rules. Thus, our approach is not empirical but theoretical. We first recall Bagehot’s arguments especially regarding the respective levels of interest rates. Then we show how Bernanke met Bagehot and how he revisited Bagehot’s rules. We find that Bernanke’s approach can be sustained under theoretical conditions—notably working on the assumption that the fundamental value of financial assets can be identified. We conclude by emphasising that the debate can be either restricted to the question of moral hazard, or broadened to the question of the financial cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the close correspondence between predatory imminence continuum theory (PICT) and the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) for negative valence. RDoC's negative valence constructs relate aversively motivated behavioral reactions to various levels of threat. PICT divides defensive responses into distinct modes that vary along a continuum of the psychological closeness of predatory threat. While there is a close correspondence between PICT modes and negative valence threat constructs, based on PICT, we describe some potential elaborations of RDoC constructs. Both have consonant views of fear and anxiety and provide explicit distinctions between these emotional states, relating them to specific defensive behaviors and functions. We describe recent data that causally implicate human subjective emotional states with amygdala activity, which is also critical for defensive behavior. We conclude that attention to neuroethological views of defense can advance our understanding of the etiology and treatment of anxiety and stress disorders. Public Significance Statement: The National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) for negative valence aims to connect clinical observations relevant to anxiety disorders to their underlying biology. RDoC's negative valence constructs relate aversively motivated behavioral reactions to various levels of threat. We describe the correspondence between predatory imminence theory, which divides defensive responses into distinct modes that vary along a continuum of the psychological closeness of predatory threat and RDoC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 became unprecedented and sent shockwaves through financial markets worldwide. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the performance of the U.S. financial market from March 1, 2020, to April 14, 2022. Utilizing Bai and Perron’s (1998) least squares with breaks during this period. The study’s test findings validate the existence of seven structural changes, signifying the occurrence of eight effects of independent factors on the S&P 500 index. The empirical findings demonstrate a substantial influence of COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of financial markets. Specifically, the impact of the number of COVID-19 cases and new fatalities on financial market performance, exhibits variations in terms of direction, nature, depth, and level. Based on an analysis of the structural changes, it can be inferred that the initial period exhibits the most pronounced negative impact on the number of new COVID-19 cases. Subsequently, the direction and nature of this impact undergo a transformation from the second to the eighth periods. Specifically, the impact of the number of new COVID-19 cases becomes positive in the second, third, sixth, seventh, and eighth periods, gradually diminishing until it reaches its lowest levels of impact in the eighth period. The research further identifies a detrimental impact on the occurrence of new fatalities. However, the periods spanning from the third to the fifth period exhibit very modest levels of influence, which then transition into a beneficial effect during the fifth period. Moreover, the research reveals that the impact of mortality rates on the performance of the United States stock market was greater than that of COVID-19 cases across all periods linked to structural changes. Additionally, the exchange rate of the dollar has a consistent and favorable impact, and the real interest rate has a pronounced negative impact, which gradually reduces over time and eventually transitions into a positive value by the eighth period.

In this work, using the theory of first-order macroscopic crowd models, we introduce a compartmental advection–diffusion model, describing the spatio-temporal dynamics of a population in different human behaviors (alert, panic and control) during a catastrophic event. For this model, we prove the local existence, uniqueness and regularity of a solution, as well as the positivity and L 1 -boundedness of this solution. Then, in order to study the spatio-temporal propagation of these behavioral reactions within a population during a catastrophic event, we present several numerical simulations for different evacuation scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Complex PTSD (CPTSD) is a relatively new diagnosis. The objective of the present study was to investigate how trauma characteristics, comorbid psychopathology and cognitive and social factors experienced by children and adolescents with a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis following exposure to multiple traumatic events differs between those who meet the criteria for CPTSD and those who do not. Method: The present research used baseline data from the DECRYPT trial (BMJ Open, 2021, 11, e047600). Participants (n = 120) were aged 8–17 years and had exposure to multiple traumas and a PTSD diagnosis. The data collected comprised self‐report and parent/caregiver‐report questionnaires and interviews. Three primary analyses were conducted, comparing number of trauma types, prevalence of sexual trauma and prevalence of intrafamilial abuse between the CPTSD and PTSD‐only groups. A range of comorbid psychopathology and cognitive and social factors were compared between the groups in an exploratory secondary analysis. All analyses were preregistered. Results: The CPTSD group (n = 72, 60%) had a significantly higher frequency of sexual trauma than the PTSD‐only group (n = 48, 40%). The groups did not significantly differ on number of trauma types or prevalence of intrafamilial abuse. From the secondary analysis, the CPTSD group were found to have significantly higher scores on measures of negative post‐traumatic cognitions, depression and panic. These results were replicated in correlation analyses using a continuous measure of CPTSD symptoms. Conclusions: A large proportion of youth exposed to multiple traumatic events met criteria for CPTSD. Sexual trauma appears to be related to CPTSD symptoms. Youth with CPTSD appear to have greater severity of comorbid depression and panic symptoms, as well as more negative post‐traumatic cognitions. Further investigation could focus on the directionality and mechanisms for these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article makes the case that electric micromobilities (EMMs) are the site of a moral panic and employs the lens of mobility justice to explain it. Through analysis of scholarly and media discourse, interviews with, and social media content produced by, EMM riders (eriders), and the auto ethnographic experiences of the lead author as an electric unicycle rider in daily life, as a participant in online and offline "erider" communities, and as a food delivery worker, we reinforce the conclusion that alternate mobilities face an uphill battle in gaining legitimacy and inclusion in transportation policy and infrastructure. While this is not a new finding—alternate mobilities have a long history of being demonized and excluded—this article offers insight into how individuals who find themselves unwitting scapegoats in conflicts over public space consciously engage in deliberate actions to resist EMM panic and achieve greater mobility justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass panics can arise in response to a variety of situations, such as the spread of pathogens, bank failures, or insecurities about economic supplies. Such panics can produce contagious behaviors such as fleeing social contacts, bank withdrawals, and panic buying. In such situations, the processing of external stimuli, mediated by the perceptions and biases of the individual, can reach a threshold point at which panic behaviors are triggered. Due to the human propensity to imitate the behavior of others in uncertain crisis situations, one individual's panic behavior can spread contagiously. This paper looks at the similarities among case studies of mass panic around the world and from these cases synthesizes a conceptual model to aid our understanding. Decision-makers can use this model to strengthen national resilience against panic-generated behaviors and ensure an orderly and successful public response to future biological, financial, or economic crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most theoretical models of panic disorder have emphasized the role of several vulnerability factors in the development of this disorder, such as: neuroticism, low perceived control, trait emotional intelligence, emotion regulation, and anxiety sensitivity. To examine the nature of the relationship between these factors and panic disorder symptoms, we performed a complex network analysis to determine the symptoms and mutually reinforcing patterns that define this disorder. Participants with self-reported panic disorder (n = 326) completed a series of online self-report questionnaires. Node centrality indices, estimation of bridge nodes, and community analysis, were calculated using partial correlation coefficients and glasso regularization. The results revealed that low levels of well-being and the frequency of panic attacks were the most central symptoms of the network, while fear of physical concerns of anxiety sensitivity was a strong predictor of other network symptoms. Moreover, depression and fear of physical concerns represented the bridge nodes that link the vulnerability factors to panic disorder symptoms network. These results suggest that low levels of well-being should be included in the clinical taxonomy and assessment of panic disorder, and can be considered as a therapeutic target in cognitive and behavioral therapy for this disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to a dearth of evidence, we examined the effectiveness of brief-intensive CBT on symptom severity and catastrophic cognition in patients with panic disorder (PD). In this randomized controlled trial, 155 patients were assigned to either the experimental group (2 successive days of brief-intensive CBT-3 h per day) or the control group (regular pharmacotherapy only). After excluding ineligible participants, 20 patients in the brief intensive CBT group and 18 patients in the control group completed the study and were included in the final analysis. The primary outcome was symptom severity, and the secondary outcome was catastrophic cognition, assessed by the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) for symptoms severity and the Agoraphobic Cognition Scale (ACS) for cognitive assessment, respectively. The study showed that after one month of treatment, the PDSS (1.70 vs. 4.78; p = 0.0172) in the brief-intensive CBT group was significantly lower compared to the control group in contrast with the ACS (5.10 vs. 5.44; p = 0.8533). The mean score of PDSS and ACS significantly decreased from 21.60 to 1.7 (p < 0.0001) and from 22.55 to 5.10 (p < 0.0001) in the brief CBT group and from 19.44 to 4.78 (p < 0.0001) and 20.00 to 5.44 (p < 0.0001) in the control group, respectively. After treatment, the mean scores of PDSS and ACS significantly decreased in the brief intensive CBT and control groups. Both higher ACS and lower education levels contributed to higher PDSS in the brief intensive CBT group. However, only the PDSS correlated to the ACS in the control group. The study showed that brief-intensive CBT is an effective technique for reducing the severity of symptoms among PD patients. But, it was not effective to improve the cognitive level in PD patients at one month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation is a significant cardiovascular disease, and the increased risk of its occurrence may be influenced by mental disorders. Currently, the causal relationship between them remains controversial. Our aim is to ascertain the relationship between atrial fibrillation and mental disorders including depression, anxiety, and panic, as well as the risk factors mediating this relationship, through the judgment of genetic susceptibility. We utilized the summarized statistics from nine large-scale genome-wide association studies (in European populations), including depression (PGC, N = 807,553), anxiety (FinnGen, N = 429,209), panic (PGC, N = 230,878), diabetes (UK Biobank, N = 655,666), smoking (IEU, 607,291), hypertension (UK biobank, N = 463,010), obstructive sleep apnea (IEU, N = 476,853), obesity (UK biobank, N = 463,010), and AF (IEU, N = 1,030,836). By applying bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization and multivariable Mendelian randomization to depression, anxiety, panic, and AF, we analyzed their causal relationships and the independent influence of specific risk factors. Furthermore, a two-step MR approach was used to assess the mediating effects of diabetes, smoking, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and obesity. Results from the Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Inverse Variance Weighted Random Effects Model show: the occurrence of genetically predicted depression is related to an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) (OR: 1.073; [95 % CI: 1.005–1.146] P < 0.05), and panic is more significantly associated than depression (OR: 1.017; [95 % CI: 1.008–1.027] P < 0.001), while anxiety has no causal relationship with the occurrence of AF (OR: 1.023; [95 % CI: 0.960–1.092], P > 0.05), and AF is not significantly related to the occurrence of depression, anxiety, or panic (P > 0.05). After correcting for the other two risk factors using multivariable Mendelian randomization, depression remains significantly related to the occurrence of AF (β: 0.075; 95 % CI: [0.006, 0.144], P < 0.05), while panic and anxiety are not related to the occurrence of AF. Among them, the risk factors for AF occurrence, hypertension and obesity, are mediators between depression and AF, with mediation proportions of 74.9 % and 14.3 %, respectively. The mediating effects of diabetes, smoking, and obstructive sleep apnea were found to be not statistically significant. The above results are robust after sensitivity analysis. Our results identified that the genetic susceptibility to depression is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of AF, and that hypertension and obesity can mediate this process. Panic also poses some risk to the onset of AF. This demonstrates that controlling hypertension and obesity for emotional management is of great importance in preventing the occurrence of AF. • Provided evidence for the potential link between depression and atrial fibrillation. • Proved the existence of a correlation between depression and atrial fibrillation independent of panic and anxiety. • Hypertension and obesity are mediators between depression and AF. • Conducted research utilizing multiple large-scale GWAS databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panic buying poses significant challenges for individuals and societies. This paper provides a literature review on the process by which a pandemic crisis evolves into panic buying behavior. The review offers a comprehensive perspective on studies related to panic buying and mitigation efforts, categorizing them based on their contributions in three stages: factors influencing panic buying, the process of transforming panic into increased demand and stockpiling, and applicable intervention strategies to mitigate panic situations. The paper introduces the Socio-Economic Framework of Panic (SEFP) to illustrate the interaction between demand and supply during a panic. The review identifies a lack of quantitative models explicitly correlating influencing factors with panic and estimating panic demand. Additionally, it reveals that suggested intervention strategies often lack practical implementation guidelines. Using the SEFP, the importance of considering interventions at various stages is highlighted, ranging from controlling influencing factors and panic demands to overseeing stockpiling and supply-related activities. The paper also identifies research gaps in both qualitative and quantitative modeling, policymaking, and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Although the study of emotions can look back to over 100 years of research, it is unclear which information the brain uses to construct the subjective experience of an emotion. Objective: In the current study, we assess the role of the peripheral and central adrenergic system in this respect. Methods: Healthy volunteers underwent a double inhalation of 35% CO2, which is a well-validated procedure to induce an intense emotion, namely panic. In a randomized, cross-over design, 34 participants received either a β1-blocker acting selectively in the peripheral nervous system (atenolol), a β1-blocker acting in the peripheral and central nervous system (metoprolol), or a placebo before the CO2 inhalation. Results: Heart rate and systolic blood pressure were reduced in both β-blocker conditions compared to placebo, showing effective inhibition of the adrenergic tone. Nevertheless, the subjective experience of the induced panic was the same in all conditions, as measured by self-reported fear, discomfort, and panic symptom ratings. Conclusions: These results indicate that information from the peripheral and central adrenergic system does not play a major role in the construction of the subjective emotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand newspapers' Covid-19 portrayal in the Philippines and contribute to COVID-19 media framing literature, this study identified news frames in 97 banner stories of three Philippine broadsheets and determined how major frames depicted COVID-19 during its initial spread in the country (January 30 - March 25, 2020). Utilizing deductive and inductive approaches to generate news frames for coding, results yielded 12 frames in the three newspapers, with Action, New Evidence, Reassurance, Conflict, Economic Consequence, and Social Consequence as major frames. Generally, the newspapers' pandemic depiction was similar in foregrounding government response and new COVID-19 information instead of news that invites fear and panic. Variations were found in the newspapers' individual focus on the pandemic, conflicts about it, and its economic effects – nuances which reflected the newspapers' reputation. Results identify the need for developing people's critical media and information literacy skills. Studying COVID-19 news framing in developing these skills is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ever-increasing spread of Internet-based systems for common mental disorders has generated the need for brief online screening methods. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Web Screening Questionnaire (WSQ) to examine its suitability for screening for common mental health problems among a community sample of Italian adults. Methods: A total of 1282 subjects (F = 819; mean age = 42.05) answered the WSQ. Its discriminant characteristics were examined with other validated selected scales for measuring mental health widely used in the Italian population using sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC), as well as positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV). Results: Most of the WSQ subscales exhibited moderate to high specificity values. Specifically, the scales of 'agoraphobia' (0.947; 95%CI [0.934, 0.960]), 'anxiety' (0.959; 95%CI [0.946, 0.970]), and 'panic disorder' (0.973; 95%CI [0.964, 0.981]) showed the highest values whilst the 'obsessive-compulsive' dimension had the lowest value at 0.838, 95%CI [0.815, 0.861]. With exceptions observed for 'depression' (0.716; 95%CI [642, 798]) and 'alcohol abuse' (0.760; 95%CI [560, 920]), instead, the WSQ demonstrated critical sensitivity values (<0.6) in all dimensions. Conclusions: The WSQ was appropriate for discriminating between people with and without a psychiatric condition, as it helps to confirm the absence of disorders. However, further diagnostic procedures are required, in case of a positive WSQ screening result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends the literature on the permanent or transitory nature of shocks to per capita tourist arrivals along several dimensions. First, the study evaluates the nature of shocks to per capita tourist arrivals for a global panel of 129 countries. Second, unlike previous studies, we jointly estimate structural changes that represent either abrupt breaks or as a Fourier approximation of smooth breaks along with introducing a factor structure to test for the presence of unit roots in per capita tourist arrivals. Third, contrary to previous studies, our results show that rejection of the null hypothesis of a unit root in per capita tourist arrivals is quite limited compared to other unit root tests that fail to account for cross-correlations. Policy implications of the findings are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Henry Abramovitch has written a mystery that astonishingly replicates the process of individuation in Jungian analytical treatment. Like any mystery it focuses on uncovering clues to the problem and finding a solution. This story is assisted by the guide of the analyst and the active imagination of the client in the character of Sherlock Holmes, of all people. The book brings into question the personality and role of the analyst, the meaning of the symptom, and the personality and role of the client. Like analysis, the ending is a surprise, culminating from a startling beginning plot line with spell-binding intrigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The existing literature on the association between brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels and panic disorder presents inconsistent findings. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aim to synthesize the available evidence and determine the overall effect of BDNF protein levels in individuals diagnosed with panic disorder. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) from inception to April 21, 2023. The search strategy included relevant keywords and medical subject headings terms related to BDNF, panic disorder, and protein levels. A random‐effects model was used for the meta‐analysis, and subgroup analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and statistical tests. Results: A total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta‐analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in BDNF protein levels in individuals with panic disorder (SMD = −.53, 95% CI: −1.02 to −.04, p <.001; I2: 92%). The results of subgroup and meta‐regression analyses were not statistically significant. No significant publication bias was observed based on the results of Egger's regression test (p‐value =.3550). Conclusion: This systematic review and meta‐analysis provide evidence of lower BDNF protein levels in individuals diagnosed with panic disorder compared to healthy controls. The findings suggest a potential role for BDNF dysregulation in the pathophysiology of panic disorder. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented article deals with psychodynamic developments during the years 2020 to 2023 in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. For a better understanding of the extraordinary stress situation, we develope a connection between the Positive Transac-tional Analysis map of the script and the concepts of Existential Psychotherapy. Helplessness, script bound coping reactions, symbiotic expectations and suppression of authentic feelings (mainly fear and grief) direct to confrontations with four existential concerns (Irvin Yalom): death, responsibility, isolation and sense. Post traumatic reactions seemingly not connecting to the pandemic (depressions, panic disorders, psychosomatic symptoms) are possible consequences. Using a case example of a couples' psychotherapy we demonstrate recollecting, dissolving and working out of the traumatic stress situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study's significance lies in the multitude of challenges facing individuals today, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, military conflicts like the war in Ukraine, and the escalating rates of cancer morbidity and mortality. These factors contribute to the onset of anxiety and depressive disorders, disrupting various aspects of individuals' mental functioning and social interactions. Addressing these disorders effectively necessitates a comprehensive approach, combining pharmacological interventions with psychotherapeutic strategies under the guidance of specialized professionals. In this regard, the study is aimed at identifying aspects and features of the development of psychological problems and personality disorders in the modern world filled with various stressors. The leading methods of studying this problem are analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparison, experiment and systematisation of approaches that will help determine a wide range of mental disorders. Theoretical methods were used to analyze the literature and summarize theoretical material on anxiety and depressive disorders. Diagnostic methods were used to assess the psychological state of the study population. The study examines significant clinical syndromes and vegetative disorders that disrupt normal lifestyle, hinder daily activities, and impede professional growth. It evaluates the roles of psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers in assisting individuals with anxiety disorders. It outlines preventive measures for anxiety and depression, while also delving into various types of anxiety disorders. The research proposes diverse methods to prevent emotional anxiety and instability. It underscores the importance of devising novel strategies for diagnosis and therapy, emphasizing a comprehensive approach involving psychotherapeutic support, medical intervention, and adaptive behavioral techniques. The findings of the study hold both practical and theoretical significance for professionals in psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and sociology who provide support for individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders. Furthermore, the insights provided may be pertinent to researchers and scholars investigating the psychological well-being of contemporary society amidst adverse external circumstances.

Difficulty in appropriately responding to threats is a key feature of psychiatric disorders, especially fear-related conditions such as panic disorder (PD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most prior work on threat and fear regulation involves exposure to external threatful cues. However, fear can also be triggered by aversive, within-the-body, sensations. This interoceptive signaling of fear is highly relevant to PD and PTSD but is not well understood, especially in the context of sex. Using female and male mice, the current study investigated fear-associated spontaneous and conditioned behaviors to carbon dioxide (CO2) inhalation, a potent interoceptive threat that induces fear and panic. We also investigated whether behavioral sensitivity to CO2 is associated with delayed PTSD-relevant behaviors. CO2 evoked heterogenous freezing behaviors in both male and female animals. However, active, rearing behavior was significantly reduced in CO2-exposed male but not female mice. Interestingly, behavioral sensitivity to CO2 was associated with compromised fear extinction, independent of sex. However, in comparison to CO2-exposed males, females elicited less freezing and higher rearing during extinction suggesting an engagement of active versus passive defensive coping. Persistent neuronal activation marker ΔFosB immuno-mapping revealed attenuated engagement of infralimbic-prefrontal areas in both sexes but higher activation of brain stem locus coeruleus (LC) area in females. Inter-regional co-activation mapping revealed sex-independent disruptions in the infralimbic-amygdala associations but altered LC associations only in CO2-exposed female mice. Lastly, dopamine β hydroxylase positive (DβH + ve) noradrenergic neuronal cell counts in the LC correlated with freezing and rearing behaviors during CO2 inhalation and extinction only in female but not male mice. Collectively, these data provide evidence for higher active defensive responding to interoceptive threat CO2-associated fear in females that may stem from increased recruitment of the brainstem noradrenergic system. Our findings reveal distinct contributory mechanisms that may promote sex differences in fear and panic associated pathologies.

Background: Panic Disorder is a serious anxiety disorder, and one of the severe mental problems that impacts mothers’ mental health and fetal health as well. Aim: The current scoping review aims to provide a wide overview of the literature regarding panic disorder during pregnancy. Methods: Twenty-five eligible articles were selected for full review from SAGE, CINAHL, PubMed, Medline, Research Gate, Science Direct, and Google Scholar literature searches. This review followed the framework suggested by Arksey and O'Malley for a scoping review. Results: Content analysis of the studies was done, and five categories have been identified: Panic disorder course during pregnancy; prevalence of panic disorder during pregnancy; factors associated with pregnancy panic disorder; impact of panic disorder during pregnancy; and treatment of panic disorder during pregnancy. Conclusion: A significant gap in the literature, and inconsistent and mixed findings regarding prevalence, impact, associated factors, and treatment of PD during pregnancy exist. This scoping review revealed that more studies need to be conducted to further understand and examine PD during pregnancy.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of panic on evacuation time. Evacuation is the movement of individuals from a place in danger to a safer place. Evacuation is usually done when there is an emergency such as an earthquake, fire or attack, which will make the movement of individuals difficult. Individuals who are in an emergency will feel panic. The panic that occurs will cause individuals to lose their way to a safer place such as an exit. This research is a basic or theoretical research. The evacuation model uses cellular automata that simulates the behavior of individuals in cells for the evacuation process. This model considers the panic factor in the evacuation process which will affect the steps taken by individuals. Individual steps based on transition probabilities will obtain evacuation time. The parameters used are static coefficient, dynamic coefficient, and panic coefficient. Simulation using software by entering the grid size, obstacle position, exit position, individual position and parameters. Based on the simulation results, it is obtained that the increase in individual panic, the longer the evacuation time

Abstract Background Whether the positive associations of blood lipids with psychiatric disorders are causal is uncertain. We conducted this two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to comprehensively investigate associations of blood lipids with psychiatric disorders. Methods Univariable and multivariable models were established for MR analyses. Inverse variance-weighted (IVW) MR was employed as the main approach; weighted median and MR-Egger were used as sensitivity analysis methods. The possibility of violating MR assumptions was evaluated utilizing several sensitivity analyses, including heterogeneity statistics, horizontal pleiotropy statistics, single SNP analysis, leave-one-out analysis and MR-PRESSO analysis. As instrumental variables, we screened 362 independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) related to blood lipids from a recent genome-wide association study involving 76,627 individuals of European ancestry, with a genome-wide significance level of p

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of disgusting sensitivity in the relationship between temperament dimensions and panic disorder. Method: The present research design is descriptive-correlational. The statistical population of the present study was all students of Urmia University in the academic year 2017-2018, of which 377 were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Students completed Temperament and character Inventory (Cloninger, Svrakic & Przybeck,1993), They completed The Disgust Scale ((Haidt. 1994) and the The Panic-Associated Symptom Scale( Liebowitz, 1984). Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. Smart-PLS software has also been used to classify, process, analyze data and test research hypotheses. Results: In the present study, the indirect path coefficient between the reward dependency (p <0.01, β = -0.309) and perseverance (p <0.01, -0 = 0.096) was significant with negative panic disorder at the level of 0.01. Indirect path coefficient between harm avoidance (p <0.01, β = 0.013) with panic disorder was positive and significant at the level of 0.01. Conclusion: These findings confirm the role of Temperament in causing panic disorder and indicate the increasing attention to biological principles in the treatment of panic disorder. The present proposed pathological model can also help to better understand the role of disgust in psychological trauma and the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapies in people with anxiety disorders, including panic disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To successfully address large-scale public health threats such as the novel coronavirus outbreak, policymakers need to limit feelings of fear that threaten social order and political stability. We study how policy responses to an infectious disease affect mass fear using data from a survey experiment conducted on a representative sample of the adult population in the USA (N = 5,461). We find that fear is affected strongly by the final policy outcome, mildly by the severity of the initial outbreak, and minimally by policy response type and rapidity. These results hold across alternative measures of fear and various subgroups of individuals regardless of their level of exposure to coronavirus, knowledge of the virus, and several other theoretically relevant characteristics. Remarkably, despite accumulating evidence of intense partisan conflict over pandemic-related attitudes and behaviors, we show that effective government policy reduces fear among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether the positive associations of blood lipids with psychiatric disorders are causal is uncertain. We conducted this two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to comprehensively investigate associations of blood lipids with psychiatric disorders. Methods: Univariable and multivariable models were established for MR analyses. Inverse variance-weighted (IVW) MR was employed as the main approach; weighted median and MR-Egger were used as sensitivity analysis methods. The possibility of violating MR assumptions was evaluated utilizing several sensitivity analyses, including heterogeneity statistics, horizontal pleiotropy statistics, single SNP analysis, leave-one-out analysis and MR-PRESSO analysis. As instrumental variables, we screened 362 independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) related to blood lipids from a recent genome-wide association study involving 76,627 individuals of European ancestry, with a genome-wide significance level of p < 5 × 10− 8. Summary-level information for the six psychiatric disorders was extracted from Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium. Results: We observed eight significant associations in univariable MR analysis, four of which were corroborated by multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis modified for the other three lipid traits: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level with the risk of PTSD (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.85–0.97, p = 0.002) and AD (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.71–0.88, p < 0.001) and triglycerides (TG) level with the risk of MDD (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.003–1.03, p = 0.01) and panic disorder (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.74–0.92, p < 0.001). In addition, four associations were not significant in MVMR analysis after adjustment for three lipid traits: total cholesterol (TC) level with the risk of PTSD, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level with the risk of MDD and AD and TG level with the risk of AD. Conclusions: Our results show that blood lipids and psychiatric disorders may be related in a causal manner. This shows that abnormal blood lipid levels may act as reliable biomarker of psychiatric disorders and as suitable targets for their prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to major cognitive accounts of panic disorder, bodily sensations can lead to automatic activation of an associative fear network, potentially triggering a cascade of cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses culminating in a panic attack. However, the evidence for the automatic associations assumed by these models is mixed. This may reflect the heterogeneous nature of panic disorder, in that the relative importance of different bodily sensations and symptoms varies between individuals. The current study aimed to test this possibility via measuring the associations between three different sets of panic symptoms (cognitive, respiratory, cardiac) and scores on three symptom-specific single target implicit association tests (STIATs). Methods: A total of 226 unselected female participants aged 18–35 completed the STIATs as well as questionnaires assessing panic symptoms and related measures in a web-based study. Results: Only limited evidence was found to support the idea of specific associations between STIAT stimuli sets and their related panic symptoms. Exploratory analyses indicated that there were only associations between STIAT scores and panic-relevant questionnaires amongst those participants who had experienced a panic attack in the previous 6 months. Conclusions: The results have implications for measuring panic-relevant associations and understanding their role in panic disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The existing literature on the association between brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels and panic disorder presents inconsistent findings. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aim to synthesize the available evidence and determine the overall effect of BDNF protein levels in individuals diagnosed with panic disorder. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted using electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) from inception to April 21, 2023. The search strategy included relevant keywords and medical subject headings terms related to BDNF, panic disorder, and protein levels. A random‐effects model was used for the meta‐analysis, and subgroup analyses were performed to explore heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and statistical tests. Results A total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta‐analysis demonstrated a significant decrease in BDNF protein levels in individuals with panic disorder (SMD = −.53, 95% CI: −1.02 to −.04, p

Background: No study has yet to simultaneously compare generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) with respect to restingstate functional connectivity (rsFC) and anxiety symptom severity. Methods: We collected articles from PubMed, PsycINFO, and ScienceDirect and subjected articles to seven eligibility criteria to be considered for inclusion. Included articles were screened using the QUADAS-2 to assess article quality. Articles were also subjected to a forest plot, activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis, and a multiple regression to measure the effect of anxiety symptom severity and rsFC between conditions. We also subjected our sample to a funnel plot with Egger's test to determine publication bias. Results: Our initial search yielded 1022 studies. After eligibility criteria we retained 30 articles. Quality assessment indicated no major issues with bias or applicability. Our forest plot indicated that all conditions showed a robust effect on anxiety symptom severity when compared with controls. Our ALE meta-analysis showed convergent intranetwork rsFC within the default mode network (DMN) across conditions. Our multiple regression indicated that all conditions exhibited very strong correlations between DMN connectivity and anxiety symptom severity. Funnel plot and Egger's test indicated no presence of publication bias. Limitations: Our sample was limited by the following: No longitudinal data, no specific time series neuroimaging data, some biased demographic data, and the possibility that some studies might have been missed during review. Conclusion: GAD, PD, and SAD appear to exhibit increased intranetwork connectivity in the DMN which correlates with increased severity of anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of consequences of anxiety-related sensations, and has been linked to the development of panic symptoms. Distress tolerance (DT) encompasses one's behavioral or self-perceived ability to handle aversive states. We examined whether higher DT buffers the relationship between AS and changes in panic symptoms across two timepoints, spaced ∼three weeks apart. At Time 1, 208 participants completed questionnaires and a physical DT task (breath-holding duration), a cognitive DT task (anagram persistence), and a self-report measure of DT (perceived DT). Panic symptoms were assessed at both timepoints. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate two models in which AS and DT predicted changes in panic. Contrary to hypotheses, for those with longer breath-holding duration (higher physical DT), higher fears of physical anxiety-related sensations (higher physical AS) were associated with worse panic outcomes over time. Findings suggest that those with lower physical DT may have been less willing to engage with difficult tasks in the short-term. Although disengagement in the short-term may provide temporary relief, it is possible that averse psychopathological consequences stemming from rigid or habitual avoidance of distressing states may develop over longer periods of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the challenges faced by instructors teaching about racism, particularly in the context of the backlash against Critical Race Theory (CRT). The author, working at a minority-serving institution, discusses how the politicization of CRT and widespread misunderstandings impact classroom discussions on racism, emphasizing the need for educators to address these challenges while promoting critical race perspectives.