Panic disorder

Course

Panic attacks seem to follow a chronic course that waxes and wanes in severity. Some people may have a limited period of dysfunction that never recurs, while others may experience a severe chronic form of the disorder. Those with associated agoraphobia tend to have a more severe and complicated course. Treatment early in the development of the disorder may shorten the duration and prevent complications, including agoraphobia and depression. Recent research findings also support the hypothesis that panic disorder is an illness involving abnormalities of, amongst others, central serotonergic function and specific genetic compositions (DeVane, 1997; Estivill, 2001 - Human Genome Project).