Impaired implicit emotion regulation in patients with panic disorder:An event-related potential study on affect labeling

BACKGROUND Panic disorder(PD)involves emotion dysregulation,but its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.Previous research suggests that implicit emotion regulation may play a central role in PD-related emotion dysregulation and symptom maintenance.However,there is a lack of studies exploring the neural mechanisms of implicit emotion regulation in PD using neurophysiological indicators.AIM To study the neural mechanisms of implicit emotion regulation in PD with eventrelated potentials(ERP).METHODS A total of 25 PD patients and 20 healthy controls(HC)underwent clinical evaluations.The study utilized a case-control design with random sampling,selecting participants for the case group from March to December 2018.Participants performed an affect labeling task,using affect labeling as the experimental condition and gender labeling as the control condition.ERP and behavioral data were recorded to compare the late positive potential(LPP)within and between the groups.RESULTS Both PD and HC groups showed longer reaction times and decreased accuracy under the affect labeling.In the HC group,late LPP amplitudes exhibited a dynamic pattern of initial increase followed by decrease.Importantly,a significant group×condition interaction effect was observed.Simple effect analysis revealed a reduction in the differences of late LPP amplitudes between the affect labeling and gender labeling conditions in the PD group compared to the HC group.Furthermore,among PD patients under the affect labeling,the late LPP was negatively correlated with disease severity,symptom frequency,and intensity.CONCLUSION PD patients demonstrate abnormalities in implicit emotion regulation,hampering their ability to mobilize cognitive resources for downregulating negative emotions.The late LPP amplitude in response to affect labeling may serve as a potentially valuable clinical indicator of PD severity.

地区特征与中国地区间价格水平差异收敛性——基于PANIC方法的面板单位根检验

为解决类似文献所采用的第一代检验方法无法克服截面相关性的问题,利用第二代面板数据的单位根检验方法(PANIC方法)对国内地区间相对价格水平差异的收敛性做了重新检验。检验结果修正了以往文献在收敛显著程度上得出的乐观结论,验证了不可贸易品的存在是长期相对购买力平价趋于发散的原因之一,同时也肯定了以往研究对中国市场一体化程度逐步趋高的判断。同时进一步以地区特征为视角,对样本地区进行分组研究,发现相对价格水平倾向于在国内较富裕以及较开放的地区间收敛,而经济增长和通胀水平对地区间价格水平差异收敛性的影响并不确定。

Functional neuroanatomy in panic disorder:Status quo of the research

AIM To provide an overview of the current research in the functional neuroanatomy of panic disorder.METHODS Panic disorder(PD) is a frequent psychiatric disease. Gorman et al(1989; 2000) proposed a comprehensive neuroanatomical model of PD, which suggested that fear-and anxiety-related responses are mediated by a so-called "fear network" which is centered in the amygdala and includes the hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray region, locus coeruleus and other brainstem sites. We performed a systematic search by the electronic database PubMed. Thereby, the main focus was laid on recent neurofunctional, neurostructural, and neurochemical studies(from the period between January 2012 and April 2016). Within this frame, special attention was given to the emerging field of imaging genetics. RESULTS We noted that many neuroimaging studies have reinforced the role of the "fear network" regions in the pathophysiology of panic disorder. However, recent functional studies suggest abnormal activation mainly in an extended fear network comprising brainstem, anterior and midcingulate cortex(ACC and MCC), insula, and lateral as well as medial parts of the prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, differences in the amygdala activation were not as consistently reported as one would predict from the hypothesis of Gorman et al(2000). Indeed, amygdala hyperactivation seems to strongly depend on stimuli and experimental paradigms, sample heterogeneity and size, as well as on limitations of neuroimaging techniques. Advanced neurochemical studies have substantiated the major role of serotonergic, noradrenergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission in the pathophysiology of PD. However, alterations of GABAergic function in PD are still a matter of debate and also their specificity remains questionable. A promising new research approach is "imaging genetics". Imaging genetic studies are designed to evaluate the impact of genetic variations(polymorphisms) on cerebral function in regions critical for PD. Most recently, imaging genetic studies have not only confirmed the importance of serotonergic and noradrenergic transmission in the etiology of PD but also indicated the significance of neuropeptide S receptor, CRH receptor, human TransM EMbrane protein(TMEM123D), and amiloride-sensitive cation channel 2(ACCN2) genes. CONCLUSION In light of these findings it is conceivable that in the near future this research will lead to the development of clinically useful tools like predictive biomarkers or novel treatment options.

Simulation of crowd dynamics in pedestrian evacuation concerning panic contagion:A cellular automaton approach

The study of the panic evacuation process is of great significance to emergency management.Panic not only causes negative emotions such as irritability and anxiety,but also affects the pedestrians decision-making process,thereby inducing the abnormal crowd behavior.Prompted by the epidemiological SIR model,an extended floor field cellular automaton model was proposed to investigate the pedestrian dynamics under the threat of hazard resulting from the panic contagion.In the model,the conception of panic transmission status(PTS)was put forward to describe pedestrians’behavior who could transmit panic emotions to others.The model also indicated the pedestrian movement was governed by the static and hazard threat floor field.Then rules that panic could influence decision-making process were set up based on the floor field theory.The simulation results show that the stronger the pedestrian panic,the more sensitive pedestrians are to hazards,and the less able to rationally find safe exits.However,when the crowd density is high,the panic contagion has a less impact on the evacuation process of pedestrians.It is also found that when the hazard position is closer to the exit,the panic will propagate for a longer time and have a greater impact on the evacuation.The results also suggest that as the extent of pedestrian’s familiarity with the environment increases,pedestrians spend less time to escape from the room and are less sensitive to the hazard.In addition,it is essential to point out that,compared with the impact of panic contagion,the pedestrian’s familiarity with environment has a more significant influence on the evacuation.

Panic buying? Food hoarding during the pandemic period with city lockdown

Food hoarding is prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.To investigate the mechanism of urban consumers’food hoarding behaviors,we categorize hoarding motives into rational and irrational ones.Using random online survey samples from three cities in China,we employ the multivariate probit model to investigate the rational and irrational motives on food hoarding behavior.Our results confirmed the existence of both rational and irrational food hoarding,and also found factors attributing to the different buying behaviors.The amount of food at hand and the expectation on the infection possibility of COVID-19 are two major factors affecting rational hoarding.Bad mood and herd psychology are factors contributing to panic buying.This study provides an empirical evidence to support intervention policies aiming at mitigating panic buying behavior.

How far has panic buying been studied?

BACKGROUND Although panic buying(PB)is a ubiquitous behavior,it became prominent during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.However,studies are inadequate to explore the different aspects of it,even though it covers several perspectives of life and academic domains.AIM To assess the research that have been conducted on PB.METHODS A search was conducted to identify the articles in PubMed,PubMed Central,Scopus,and Google Scholar using the search term“panic buying”on November 15,2020.A total of 104 articles was extracted from the initial search.After removing duplicates and initial and full-text screening,42 articles were included in the study.We only considered peer-reviewed published articles that can be downloaded in a full portable document format.Articles published in other languages and preprints were excluded.RESULTS Among the 42 articles,27 were original contributions,6 were correspondences,3 were commentaries,3 were review articles,and there was one each for editorial,opinion,and discussion type of articles.Several domains have been researched such as psychology,responsible factors,supply chain,management,disaster preparedness,e-commerce,consumer behavior,marketing,prevention strategies,media,social network,economics,personality,and engineering.Authors from several disciplines,such as psychiatry,management,economics,business,sales and marketing,consumer behavior,public health,communication,information management,sociology,engineering,business administration,psychology,nursing,health economics,food policy,epidemiology,and community health,have been studied it.Definition,causative model,econometric model,controlling strategy,and measuring instrument have been reported.A total of 18 papers had cross-country collaboration,and ten were funded projects.Most of the authors were affiliated with the institutions of Australia,Bangladesh,China,India,Singapore,and the United States.CONCLUSION PB is a relatively newer concept to get the attention of the research community.Further robust studies with replication of the findings are warranted to explore,predict,and control during crises.

Model considering panic emotion and personality traits for crowd evacuation

Panic is a common emotion when pedestrians are in danger during the actual evacuation, which can affect pedestrians a lot and may lead to fatalities as people are crushed or trampled. However, the systematic studies and quantitative analysis of evacuation panic, such as panic behaviors, panic evolution, and the stress responses of pedestrians with different personality traits to panic emotion are still rare. Here, combined with the theories of OCEAN(openness, conscientiousness,extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism) model and SIS(susceptible, infected, susceptible) model, an extended cellular automata model is established by the floor field method in order to investigate the dynamics of panic emotion in the crowd and dynamics of pedestrians affected by emotion. In the model, pedestrians are divided into stable pedestrians and sensitive pedestrians according to their different personality traits in response to emotion, and their emotional state can be normal or panic. Besides, emotion contagion, emotion decay, and the influence of emotion on pedestrian movement decision-making are also considered. The simulation results show that evacuation efficiency will be reduced, for panic pedestrians may act maladaptive behaviors, thereby making the crowd more chaotic. The results further suggest that improving pedestrian psychological ability and raising the standard of management can effectively increase evacuation efficiency. And it is necessary to reduce the panic level of group as soon as possible at the beginning of evacuation. We hope this research could provide a new method to analyze crowd evacuation in panic situations.

The Effects of Low Dose Sertraline on Blood Pressure in Patients with Hypertension and Panic Disorder: A Pilot Study

Objective: In this pilot study, given the prevalence of hypertension and panic disorder as described in the literature, we proposed to fill the gaps in the literature on the possible utility of SSRI medication as an adjunct treatment in individuals with panic disorder and hypertension. Methods: We planned to only recruit patients with panic disorder who fit the criteria independently for treatment with SSRI;i.e. treatment would be given based on clinical need and currently accepted Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) criteria. Thereafter, we would monitor their BP at baseline, 14 days and 28 days to determine if there has been an effect on the individual’s BP. Results: Based on the observation above, there may be a trend of a reduction in systolic and diastolic BP after the commencement of sertraline. Conclusion: In order to confirm this observation, a larger sample size is required in the future. This pilot study proposed to meet the objectives as listed below;however due to difficulty with recruitment, only 2 out of 4 participants will be discussed in the analysis.

Thiol-Disulfide Homeostasis in Patients with Panic Disorder

Objective: To determine serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis in panic disorder (PD). Methods: Serum native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels were measured in the patients with 40 PD patients and 40 healthy subjects. Serum native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels were measured with a novel colorimetric, automated method. The thiol-disulfide ratio was also calculated. Results: The native thiol (p Conclusion: This is the first study in the literature to evaluate thiol-disulfide homeostasis in patients with PD. Our results suggest that the disulfide/thiol ratio is significantly greater in panic disorder patients.

Psychological predictors of bipolarity in panic disorder

BACKGROUND Panic disorders frequently occur with affective disorders,particularly bipolar disorder.Patients with panic disorder and bipolar disorder are more likely to present with severe symptoms,such as high rates of suicidal behavior,poor symptomatic and functional recovery,and poor drug responses.AIM To investigate the psychological characteristics of panic disorder patients related to bipolarity.METHODS A total of 254 patients(136 men and 118 women,mean age=33.48±3.2 years)who were diagnosed with panic disorder were included in the study.Panic disorder with bipolarity(BP+)was defined as a score of≥7 on the Korean version of the Mood Disorder Questionnaire(K-MDQ),and a score lower than 7 was considered as a panic disorder without bipolarity(BP-).Self-report questionnaires were analyzed to examine their association with bipolarity.Psychological tests used in the study were the Mood Disorder Questionnaire(MDQ),Panic Disorder Severity Scale,Beck Depression Inventory,State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI),Temperament and Character Inventory(TCI),and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI).Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between bipolarity of panic disorder patients and various psychological test results indicative of psychological characteristics.RESULTS Patients with a K-MDQ score of 7 or more were considered to have a history of manic or hypomanic episodes(BP+group,n=128),while patients with K-MDQ scores below 7 were defined as those without bipolarity(BP-group,n=126).The BP+group were more likely to be unmarried(single 56.2%vs 44.4%,P=0.008)and younger(30.78±0.59 vs 37.11±3.21,P<0.001).Additionally,the BP+group had significantly higher scores on psychological assessment scales,such as the hypochondriasis,psychopathic deviate,masculinity-femininity,psychasthenia,schizophrenia,and hypomania(Ma)in MMPI,and novelty seeking,harm avoidance and self-transcendence in TCI,and STAI(state and trait)compared to the BP-group.In logistic regression analysis,depression in MMPI,selfdirectedness in TCI,and age were negatively associated with MDQ score,meanwhile,Ma in MMPI and STAI(trait)were positively associated with MDQ score.CONCLUSION The result of this study suggests that almost 50%of patients with panic disorder are likely to have hypomanic or manic symptoms,and certain psychological factors are associated bipolarity in panic disorder.

Mechanisms of ＂Moral Panic＂ Generation in Modem Media： Ukrainian Experience

In this research, it considers the manipulative influence of mass communication on the society especially in the formation of moral panic in times of social-politics crisis--Revolution of Dignity （November 2013-February 2014） and during social-political stability. An attempt was made to determine the mechanism of implementation of this phenomenon in these periods the example of the news program ＂Facts＂ on ICTV channel and news on the TV channel ＂1＋1＂. The author makes two models of moral panic mechanism＇s formation： during the period of sociopolitical stability and in the period of sociopolitical crisis. Furthermore, it identifies the comparative characteristics of moral panic formation during the period of the sociopolitical stability and sociopolitical crisis.

Glutamate decarboxylase 1 gene polymorphisms are associated with respiratory symptoms in panic disorder

BACKGROUND Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of panic disorder(PD).However,the effect of genetic variants on PD remains controversial.AIM To evaluate the associations between glutamate decarboxylase 1(GAD1)gene polymorphisms and PD risk and assess the effect of GAD1 gene polymorphisms on the severity of clinical symptoms in PD.METHODS We recruited 230 PD patients and 224 healthy controls in this study.All participants were assessed for anxiety and panic symptom severity using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale(HAM-A)and Panic Disorder Severity Scale(PDSS).GAD1 gene polymorphisms(rs1978340 and rs3749034)were genotyped and assessed for allele frequencies.RESULTS There were no significant differences between cases and controls in the genotype distributions or allele frequencies of GAD1(rs1978340 and rs3749034).In addition,the effect of GAD1(rs1978340 and rs3749034)on PD severity was not significant.However,regarding respiratory symptoms,patients with the GAD1 rs1978340 A/A genotype had significantly higher scores than those with the A/G or G/G genotype.CONCLUSION Here,we showed that the A/A genotype of GAD1 rs1978340 was associated with increased severity of respiratory symptoms in patients with PD.

Pilot study of genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression for treatment response to escitalopram in panic disorder

BACKGROUND Antidepressants,particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,are currently considered the first-line treatment for panic disorder(PD).However,little is known about the relationship between the biomarkers that may predict better treatment.AIM To compare genome-wide methylation and gene expression patterns between responsive and non-responsive patients with PD after 4 wk of escitalopram treatment.METHODS Thirty patients with PD were enrolled in this study(responders=13;nonresponders=17).All patients were assessed using the PD Severity Scale-Chinese version before and after treatment.The Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC(850k)BeadChip for genome-wide methylation screening and mRNA sequencing was used in all patients with PD.RESULTS A total of 701 differentially methylated positions(DMPs)were found between responders and non-responders(|Δβ|≥0.06,q<0.05),and the hyper-and hypomethylated CpG sites were 511(72.9%)and 190(27.1%),respectively.Relative to non-responders,there were 59 differential transcripts,of which 20 were downregulated and 39 were upregulated(q<0.05).However,no differen tially expressed genes were identified by mRNA sequencing after correcting for multiple testing(|log2(FC)|>1,q>0.05).CONCLUSION This preliminary study showed that DMPs might be associated with the treatment response to escitalopram in PD;however,these DMPs need to be verified in large samples.

Speaking Easy Seven steps to panic-free public speaking

SPEAKINC IN PUBLIC is most people’s least favor-ite thing. The reason is that we’re all afraid of makingfools of ourselves. The more important the speech, themore frightened we become. But stop biting your fingernails. Public speaking iseasy. It’s just plain talking, and you talk all the time.

COVID-19,“Moral Panic”and Cultural Power in Digital Age

The outbreak of COVID-19 in late 2019 is still spreading all over the world.This sudden epidemic has not only led to a devastating disaster,but also triggered the psychological panic of all mankind.This psychological panic is mainly embodied at ontological level of life morality panic,and its essence is the panic which might end individual’s hope for freedom.However,when ontological thinking of life morality comes to practical level,some digital narratives that pay too much attention to“user experience”will cause panic at the level of moral practice in audience,and then arouse populist feelings hidden in people.The increasingly updated digital technology not only enhances independent expression and communication ability of social individuals,but also leads to a gradually enlarged vicious circle between digital production mechanism and feelings of“moral panic populism”.The rational implementation of cultural power through digital media may appropriately solve this problem.

Slow Down,Don’t Panic

CHINA＇S economy grew at 7.3 percent in the third quarter of 2014, maintaining a steady pace de- spite a complicated external and internal economic environment. In the first nine months, the economy expanded 7,4 percent overall.

Brain Mechanisms Underlying Panic Attack and Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks,with a prevalence of~4%in the general population,causing heavy personal and socioeconomic burdens.The similarities of animal defense responses to clinical panic attack symptoms in humans make it possible to translate neuroanatomical pathways identified in animal studies to panic disorder in humans.Therefore,in this review we first present a basic overview of panic disorder in humans including the main subtypes,models commonly used to trigger panic attacks,related hypotheses,the neurotransmitter systems that may be involved,and the current clinical treatments to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of panic disorder.The animal section introduces the models that trigger panic-like behavior in animals and the brain regions that may be involved,providing insights for future elucidation of the neural circuit mechanisms behind panic attacks.

Using Plan-Do-Check-Act Circulation to Improve the Management of Panic Value in the Hospital

The concept ＂panic value＂ （or critical value） was first brought tip by American scholar Lundberg in 1972. It refers to the results of auxiliary examinations that are widely deviating from normal or anticipated results. The occurrence of these abnomaal results shows that patients could be in a dangerous situation that their lives might be threatened. If clinicians are able to get the information in time and provide the patients with effective interventions or treatments promptly, lives could be saved. Otherwise, there could be serious consequences and the best opportunities for rescuing the patients might be missing The management of panic value is an important component of medical quality management, as the National Health and Family Planning Commission has clearly defined in the ＂patient safety goals＂ for several consecutive years. In countries such as America, Australia as well as Gennany, the management of panic value has also been greatly emphasized and was been included in various hospital assessments.

Effect of Zuogui Pill(左归丸) on Monoamine Neurotransmitters and Sex Hormones in Climacteric Rats with Panic Attack

Objective： To explore the effects of Chinese medicine prescription Zuogui Pill（左归丸, ZGP） on monoamine neurotransmitters and sex hormones in climacteric rats with induced panic attacks. Methods： Forty-eight climacteric female rats were randomized into 6 groups with 8 rats in each group： the control group, the model group, the low-, medium- and high-dose ZGP groups and the alprazolam group. Rats in the low-, medium- and high-dose ZGP groups were administered 4.725, 9.45, or 18.9 g/kg ZGP by gastric perfusion, respectively. The alprazolam group was treated by gastric perfusion with 0.036 mg/kg alprazolam. The control and model groups were treated with distilled water. The animals were pretreated once daily for 8 consecutive weeks. The behaviors of rats in the open field test and the elevated T-maze（ETM） were observed after induced panic attack, and the levels of brain monoamine neurotransmitters and the plasma levels of sex hormones were measured. Results： Compared with the control group, the mean ETM escape time and the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine（5-HT） and noradrenalin（NE） of the model group were significantly reduced（P〈0.05）, Compared with the model group, the mean ETM escape time and the 5-HT and NE levels of all the ZGP groups increased significantly（P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. However, no significant difference was observed in the levels of sex hormones between the groups. Conclusion： Pretreatment with ZGP in climacteric rats may improve the behavior of panic attack, which may be related to increased 5-HT and NE in the brain.

QT wave dispersion in patients with panic disorder

Objective QT dispersion （QTd）, defined as the maximal inter-lead difference in QT intervals on 12 leads of the surface electrocardiogram （ECG）, reflects the regional heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization and has been suggested as an important marker for risk of arrhythmia in addition to the QT interval. Some investigators proposed that it might be a predisposing factor for arrhythmic events and sudden death. Thus, we aimed to investigate whether QTd differs in patients with panic disorder from that in healthy controls. Methods In 40 panic disorder patients and 40 healthy controls, Qmax, Qmin, and QTd values were measured. In addition, the Hamilton depression rating scale and the panic agoraphobia scale were scored for both patients and healthy volunteers. Results Qmax and Qmin values in the panic disorder patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. The mean corrected QTd was significantly greater in the patients than in the controls. One-way analysis of covariance （ANCOVA; using left atrial size, age and heart rate as covariates） also corrected the significant difference. In addition, ANCOVA revealed a significant main effect for the diagnosis, indicating a significantly higher QTd for patients compared with controls. Conclusion QTd might be associated with panic disorder. Future studies in larger samples evaluating the effects of treatment are required.