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Query: UMLS:C0085383 (hypocapnia)
 1,697 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Respiration is a complex physiological system affecting a variety of physical processes that can act as a critical link between mind and body. This review discusses the evidence for dysregulated breathing playing a role in three clinical syndromes: panic disorder, functional cardiac disorder, and chronic pain. Recent technological advances allowing the ambulatory assessment of endtidal partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) and respiratory patterns have opened up new avenues for investigation and treatment of these disorders. The latest evidence from laboratories indicates that subtle disturbances of breathing, such as tidal volume instability and sighing, contribute to the chronic hypocapnia often found in panic patients. Hypocapnia is also common in functional cardiac and chronic pain disorders, and studies indicate that it mediates some of their symptomatology. Consistent with the role of respiratory dysregulation in these disorders, initial evidence indicates efficacy of respiration-focused treatment.
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PMID:Respiratory dysregulation in anxiety, functional cardiac, and pain disorders. Assessment, phenomenology, and treatment. 1153 Jul 14

Physiological activation is a cardinal symptom of anxiety, although physiological measurement is still not used for psychiatric diagnosis. An ambulatory study of phobics who were afraid of highway driving showed a concordance between self-reported anxiety during driving, autonomic activation, hypocapnia, and sighing respiration. Patients with panic attacks do not exhibit autonomic activation when they are quietly sitting and not having panic attacks, but do have the same respiratory abnormalities as driving phobics, suggesting that these abnormalities could be a marker for panic disorder. Such abnormalities are compatible with both the false suffocation alarm (D. Klein) and hyperventilation (R. Ley) theories of panic. Hypocapnia, however, is often absent during full-blown panic attacks. Since activation functions as preparation for physical activity, it may not occur when a patient has learned that avoidance of fear by flight or fight is futile. We developed a capnometry feedback assisted breathing training therapy for panic disorder designed to reduce hyperventilation and making breathing regular. Without feedback, conventional therapeutic breathing instructions may actually increase hyperventilation by increasing dyspnea. Five weekly therapy sessions accompanied by daily home practice with a capnometer produced marked clinical improvement compared to changes in an untreated group. Improvement was sustained over a 12-month follow-up period. The therapist avoided any statements or procedures designed to alter cognitions. Improvement occurred regardless of whether patients initially reported mostly respiratory or non-respiratory symptoms during their attacks. There is evidence that modifying any of the three systems comprising a fear network can be therapeutic, as exemplified by cognitive therapy modifying thoughts, exposure therapy modifying avoidance, and breathing training procedures modifying pCO(2).
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PMID:Physiological markers for anxiety: panic disorder and phobias. 1613 80

Dysfunctional breathing is a term describing breathing disorders where chronic changes in breathing pattern result in dyspnoea and other symptoms in the absence or in excess of the magnitude of physiological respiratory or cardiac disease. We reviewed the literature and propose a classification system for the common dysfunctional breathing patterns described. The literature was searched using the terms: dysfunctional breathing, hyperventilation, Nijmegen questionnaire and thoraco-abdominal asynchrony. We have summarised the presentation, assessment and treatment of dysfunctional breathing, and propose that the following system be used for classification. 1) Hyperventilation syndrome: associated with symptoms both related to respiratory alkalosis and independent of hypocapnia. 2) Periodic deep sighing: frequent sighing with an irregular breathing pattern. 3) Thoracic dominant breathing: can often manifest in somatic disease, if occurring without disease it may be considered dysfunctional and results in dyspnoea. 4) Forced abdominal expiration: these patients utilise inappropriate and excessive abdominal muscle contraction to aid expiration. 5) Thoraco-abdominal asynchrony: where there is delay between rib cage and abdominal contraction resulting in ineffective breathing mechanics.This review highlights the common abnormalities, current diagnostic methods and therapeutic implications in dysfunctional breathing. Future work should aim to further investigate the prevalence, clinical associations and treatment of these presentations.
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PMID:Dysfunctional breathing: a review of the literature and proposal for classification. 2758 28