| Abstract: | Observation of patients with panic disorders (PD) and generalized anxious disturbances (GAD) by means of contingent negative variation (CNV) revealed that they significantly differ from healthy individuals. Anxiety, depression and autonomic dysfunction were more pronounced in such patients. Both high amplitude of early CNV component and alteration of its habituation were quite typical for patients with PA in contrast to GAD patients and healthy individuals. There were no differences in CNV indices between the healthy group and the patients with GAD. PA patients differed from GAD ones by smaller manifestation of depression, shorter duration of the disease, shorter time of reaction. The data obtained have demonstrated qualitative psychophysiologic differences between PA and GAD groups of patients. They were mostly pronounced in both amplitude of early CNV and alteration of its habituation. PA patients were characterized by an increase of excitability in brain cortex and by surplus orientation activity. The authors suppose that specific CNV pattern reflects neurodynamics of "paroxysmal brain". |
