neuropeptide-y and Panic-Disorder

A polymorphism in the promoter region of the NPY gene at position -399 C > T was recently reported to be associated with schizophrenia in a Japanese population and with treatment refractory unipolar depression in a Swedish population. The objective of this study was to investigate potential associations between the polymorphism and three psychiatric disorders in a Danish population.. We investigated the occurrence of the polymorphism in patients with schizophrenia (n = 291), unipolar depression (n = 256) and panic disorder (n = 142) compared with controls (n = 716).. We detected the polymorphism -399 C > T at a frequency of 48% in controls. No significant differences were found between genotype or allele frequencies in controls vs. the patient groups.. The lack of association between the -399 C > T polymorphism and schizophrenia, unipolar depression or panic disorder, respectively, suggests that the polymorphism is not involved in the etiology of these disorders in the Danish population.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alleles; Denmark; Depressive Disorder; DNA Primers; Female; Gene Frequency; Genotype; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropeptide Y; Panic Disorder; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Genetic; Prevalence; Schizophrenia

Consistent with many studies demonstrating enhanced reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the administration of yohimbine, a noradrenergic alpha(2)-antagonist, has been shown to increase core symptoms of PTSD and to induce greater increases in plasma 3-methyl-4-hydroxy-phenyl-glycol (MHPG) in subjects with PTSD compared with healthy control subjects. In turn, neuropeptide Y (NPY) has been shown to inhibit the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic noradrenergic neurons.. In the following study, plasma NPY responses to yohimbine and placebo were measured in a subgroup of 18 subjects with PTSD and 8 healthy control subjects who participated in the previous study of the effect of yohimbine on plasma MHPG.. The PTSD subjects had lower baseline plasma NPY and blunted yohimbine-stimulated increases in plasma NPY compared with the healthy control subjects. Within the PTSD group, baseline plasma NPY levels correlated negatively with combat exposure scale scores, baseline PTSD and panic symptoms, and yohimbine-stimulated increases in MHPG and systolic blood pressure.. This study suggests that combat stress-induced decreases in plasma NPY may mediate, in part, the noradrenergic system hyperreactivity observed in combat-related PTSD. The persistence of this decrease in plasma NPY may contribute to symptoms of hyperarousal and the expression of exaggerated alarm reactions, anxiety reactions, or both in combat veterans with PTSD long after war.

Topics: Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; Adult; Blood Pressure; Heart Rate; Humans; Male; Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; Neuropeptide Y; Panic Disorder; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Severity of Illness Index; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Warfare; Yohimbine

Neuropeptide Y is a pancreatic polypeptide closely associated with noradrenergic activity both in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The objective of this study was to assess plasma neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in panic disorder.. Radioimmunoassays were performed in 12 patients with DSM-III-R panic disorder and two groups of normal comparison subjects (N = 22 and N = 16).. Markedly higher plasma neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity was found in patients with panic disorder.. Higher plasma neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity suggests that this peptide may be implicated in the etiology or expression of symptoms of panic disorder.

Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Neuropeptide Y; Panic Disorder; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Radioimmunoassay

The demonstration in preclinical studies that centrally administered neuropeptide Y (NPY) has anxiolytic effects had led to speculation that NPY may play a role in human anxiety disorders. We therefore decided to study plasma NPY levels in 22 patients with DSM-III-R anxiety disorders (11 with panic disorder and 11 with social phobia, generalized type) and 12 never psychiatrically ill comparison subjects. Under resting conditions, plasma NPY levels did not differ among the three diagnostic groups. Following hand immersion in ice water, plasma NE levels--but not NPY levels--increased immediately, but there were no significant differential diagnostic effects. These results are convergent with prior reports of normal sympathetic nerve activity in patients with anxiety disorders.

Topics: Adult; Brain; Female; Humans; Male; Neuropeptide Y; Panic Disorder; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Social Environment; Sympathetic Nervous System