Nocturnal Panic Attack: Is it an Another Subtype?
Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the nocturnal panic attack has different features and might be considered as a sub type or not. Methods: Socio demo graphic data form, SCID-I, SCID-II, Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Beck Anxiety Scale, and Bakırkoy Panic Disorder Behavioral Changes Form we reapplied to the participants. Fifty-one of the 98 patients were suffering from Nocturnal Panic Attacks according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results: It was revealed that 47.9% of the panic disorder patients were suffering from nocturnal panic attacks. The most frequent symptoms in nocturnal panic disorder cases were experiences of feelings like drowning, lethargy, palpitation, vertigo, fear of death, and anxiety. The existence of nocturnal panic attacks was found to be related with severity of the disorder and com or bid depression. Moreover, com or bid sleep disturbances characterized with troubles in falling sleep, difficulty in sustaining sleep, feeling tired in the morning were observed. There were sleep related avoidance sand behavioral changes. Panic disorder patients with nocturnal panic attacks were found to avoid sleeping, or going to bed al one. Conclusions: Panic disorder cases with nocturnal panic attacks had more severe symptoms. From here, it can be concluded that it might be a subtype of panic disorder.
