Thirty consecutive lactate-sensitive panic disorder patients were
studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the
relationship between temporal lobe abnormalities and panic disorder.
Neuroanatomical abnormalities, most involving the right temporal lobe, were
found in 43% of patients, compared with 10% of the control subjects.
Patients with temporal lobe abnormalities were significantly younger at the
onset of panic disorder and had more panic attacks compared with patients
with normal MRI scans (p less than .05). These results suggest that panic
disorder could be secondary to temporal lobe dysfunctions and that panic
disorder patients with abnormal MRIs could have a worse prognosis than
those with normal MRIs and would require long-term pharmacological
treatment.Abstract Teaser