Emotional and cognitive factors connected with response to cholecystokinin tetrapeptide in healthy volunteers

This article examines the effect of baseline anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and dysfunctional attitudes on the response to cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4) in healthy volunteers. CCK-4 and placebo were administered to 14 subjects in a double-blind manner. Four volunteers experienced a panic attack after CCK-4 administration. Those subjects who panicked had significantly higher baseline scores on dysfunctional attitudes. Dysfunctional thought patterns appeared also to predict number of symptoms and experience of cognitive and affective symptoms during injection. Baseline anxiety as well as anxiety sensitivity predicted reactions to placebo but not panic responses to CCK-4. Results suggest that a general tendency towards erroneous interpretation of information has some role in mediating the panicogenic effects of CCK-4, and also interpersonal sensitivity may constitute a vulnerability factor for panic. Psychological factors that have been considered more specific to panic disorder, namely high state and trait anxiety as well as anxiety sensitivity, appeared mainly to determine general reactions to a threatening situation. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.