Genetic Origin of Panic Attacks

A Spanish investigation proves the genetic origin ofaspect of investigation, the anxiety disorders can
panic attacks and anxiety as well. They studied 1300provoke intense panic attacks, a chronic anxiety,
people in 10 years.It is first time that he finds aexplained being a determined event a reaction or
biological cause. Most of the patients had a doubleresulting in various phobias, and its development has a
chromosome. This would allow developing newgreat relation with family record. Until now, insurance
pharmaceuticals for coping with the genetic origin ofdid not have knowledge that anxiety had any
panic attacks.biological cause, a discovery that has been able to
BARCELONA .- a group of Spanish scientists hascome true thanks to the bigger knowledge of the
identified a genetic alteration that predisposes tohuman genome itself, Xavier Estivill, scientist that you
suffer panic attacks, agoraphobia, social phobia andhave taken the genetic origin of panic attacks part of
other manifestations of anxiety. The study, publishedthe discovery.
yesterday in the magazine Cell, one of the moreThe biological cause is a duplication of the
important in the field of the molecular biology, shechromosome 15 ( named DUP25 ), the fact that he
was for Medical and Molecular Genetics Centersmeets in more than 95 % of the patients with upset
investigators and the Hospital of the sea, both inof panic and only upon 7 % of the general population.
Barcelona .The chromosome is 15 very rich in some repetitive
This work offers the first evidence on the geneticsequences that are known like duplicates and that
factors that predispose to suffer psychiatric commonare found in a lot of copies at the chromosomes
affections like anxiety, and contributes biologicalregions where DUP25 takes place. Knowing the
bases for the development of these illnesses.genetic cause of these diseases will be able to
Investigation proves a relation between anxiety andchange the tools of cure developing new
the articular laxity ( illness consisting of a greatpharmaceuticals, and although in the case of panic
flexibility of the knuckle joints ), when checking thanand anxiety cannot speak of cure a remission of the
70 % of the patients that suffered this disease hepanic attack symptoms itself if possible, according to
had attacks of anxiety.the investigators. Knowing the genetic cause of
Biological causesthese diseases will be able to change the tools of
The studies began ten years ago, and the relationcure developing new pharmaceuticals, and although in
between both illnesses was confirmed in athe case of panic and anxiety cannot speak of cure
fact-finding later job performed at 1300 inhabitants'a remission of the panic attack symptoms itself if
locality of the province of Barcelona.According topossible, according to the investigators.
Antoni Bulbena, person in charge of the psychiatric