The Implications of the Diving Response in Reducing Panic Symptoms
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15522120 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Peter Kyriakoulis (0000-0002-6424-6179, Swinburne University of Technology, corresponding author), Michael Kyrios (0000-0001-9438-9616, Flinders University), Antonio Egidio Nardi (0000-0002-2152-4669, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro), Rafael C Freire (0000-0003-3875-4601, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro), Mark Schier (0000-0001-9187-2979, Swinburne University of Technology) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Pages | 784884-784884 |
| Publication date | 2021-11-29 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.784884 |
| PMID | 34912254 |
| OpenAlex | W3215684376 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 4 |
Increased CO 2 sensitivity is common in panic disorder (PD) patients. Free divers who are known for their exceptional breathing control have lower CO 2 sensitivity due to training effects. This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of cold facial immersion (CFI), breath holding and CO 2 challenges on panic symptoms. Healthy participants and patients with PD were subjected to four experimental conditions in a randomly assigned order. The four conditions were (a) breath-holding (BH), (b) CFI for 30 s, (c) CO 2 challenge, and (d) CO 2 challenge followed by CFI. Participants completed a battery of psychological measures, and physiological data (heart rate and respiration rate) were collected following each experimental condition. Participants with PD were unable to hold their breath for as long as normal controls; however, this finding was not significant, potentially due to a small sample size. Significant reductions in both physiological and cognitive symptoms of panic were noted in the clinical group following the CFI task. As hypothesized, the CFI task exerted demonstrable anxiolytic effects in the clinical group in this study by reducing heart rate significantly and lessening self-reported symptoms of anxiety and panic. This outcome demonstrates the promise of the CFI task for clinical applications
Anesthesia · Anxiety · Anxiety sensitivity · Anxiolytic · Audiology · Blood pressure · Breathing · Heart rate · Panic · Panic disorder · Physical therapy · Psychiatry · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Psychology · Stress Responses and Cortisol · Internal Medicine
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |