Panic attacks in neurological practice
Kuziukova A.A., Rachin A.P.

Russian Scientific Center for Medical Rehabilitation and Balneology, Moscow 

In the article clinical characteristic of panic attack (PA) is given, physiological aspects of its development are described, diagnostic criteria are outlined. Various diseases from neurologists' medical practice are reviewed, which have PA or similar conditions in their structure. Such diseases and conditions include:   panic disorder, simple (specific) phobia, sociophobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, somatoform disorder of conversion (hysterical) origin and others. Forms of PA are described, which prompt direct referral  to a neurilogist, as well as psychiatric disorders with PA, concomitant with neurological pathology. That is illustrated by clinical examples from practice and  by variety of therapeutic approaches. In the section of treatment emphasis is  given to properties of bromdihydrochlorphenylbenzodiazepine and alimemazine and to peculiarities of their usage in different disorders associated with PA. Other methods of treatment may include, depending on the disorder: psychotherapy combined with the general strengthening means (physiotherapy, exercises, massage), anxiolytics, antidepressants from the groups of inhibitors of selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake, monoaminooxidase  inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants. Insight into the clinical picture, which includes PA, allows to choose a correct plan of therapy.

Key words: panic attack, panic disorder, anxiety disorders.  
For citation: Kuziukova A.A., Rachin A.P. Panic attacks in neurological practice // RMJ. 2017. № 13. P. 986–991.