CO2 Inhalation and Risk for Panic Disorder

Objective:

To examine respiratory/physiological and subjective responding as well as genetic transmission among offspring of parents with a history of or current panic disorder (PD) diagnosis to determine whether diagnoses/symptoms, endophenotypes, or genetic profiles in offspring is differentially related to parent PD subtypes (i.e., respiratory and non-respiratory panic).

Study population:

Approximately 400 offspring of about 200 parents with current or past PD. Approximately 200 offsping/100 parents with PD will be enrolled at NIH/NIMH and the remainder at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Design:

A high-risk family design will be used wherein parents with either a current or past diagnosis of PD who have an offspring(s) (ages 9 to 20) will be recruited.

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Outcome measures:

Outcome measures will include physiological recordings of respiratory, cardiac, and electrodermal responding during a 10 minute baseline followed by 15 minutes of 5% carbon dioxide enriched air (CO2). Research participants also will complete parent and child self-report measures and provide a DNA sample using a saliva protocol. A full listing of self-reports is provided in the Outcome Measures Section.