An apnea-hypothesis of anxiety generation: Novel, respiratory, and falsifiable.

The Apnea-induced Anxiety model of Feinstein et al. continues a line of respiratory theories of panic, extending Klein's false suffocation alarm theory to a broader range of fear and anxiety states. It draws on neurobiological evidence including the underappreciated role of the amygdala in eliciting periods of apnea and CO2 tolerance. Further progress can be expected from empirical testing and integration with neuromodulatory systems that support respiration, activity, fear and anxiety, in particular the orexin system.