[Panic disorder and affective pathology (comorbidity aspects)].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the correlation between signs of panic disorder and depressive symptoms in affective disorders.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Authors studied 40 patients (23 men and 17 women, mean age 31.8 years) with mild and moderate depression comorbid with symptoms of panic disorders.

RESULTS

It was singled out two types of the comorbidity of anxiety-depressive symptoms. The first type is characterized by anxiety-apathetic affect with the domination of ideational disorders with elements of alexithymia; panic attacks were represented by clearly-delineated paroxysms and reduced as depressive symptoms came back; affective disorder had bipolar phases. The second type of comorbidity was characterized by the somatization and asthenic symptoms in depression structure, unstable functional impairment in panic paroxysms; signs of partial agoraphobia and unipolar type of affective disorder. The complete reduction of panic attacks during the remission of depressive disorder was not found as well.

CONCLUSION

The types of comorbidity have different types of the dynamics of panic and depressive disorders.