Psychopharmacological investigation of panic disorder by means of lactate infusion.

The contribution of research with lactate infusion to an understanding of agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder (PD) was reviewed. Lactate-induced panic seems to differentiate panic disorder from generalized anxiety disorder. Panic disorder seems to have important links to depression; both respond to tricyclic antidepressant drugs and neither responds well to the benzodiazepine antianxiety drugs. Response to pharmacotherapy, epidemiological surveys, and familial studies support the distinction between panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder and the overlap between major depression and panic disorder. Understanding the mechanism of lactate-induced attacks may provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of naturally occurring panic.