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Baseline Heartbeat Perception Accuracy and Short-Term Outcome of Brief Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2013

Vasilios G. Masdrakis ,
Emilia-Maria Legaki ,
Nikolaos Vaidakis ,
Dimitrios Ploumpidis ,
Constantin R. Soldatos ,
Charalambos Papageorgiou ,
George N. Papadimitriou  and
Panagiotis Oulis
Vasilios G. Masdrakis*
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
Emilia-Maria Legaki
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
Nikolaos Vaidakis
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
Dimitrios Ploumpidis
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
Constantin R. Soldatos
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
Charalambos Papageorgiou
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
George N. Papadimitriou
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
Panagiotis Oulis
Affiliation:
Athens University Medical School, Greece
*
Reprint requests to Vasilios G. Masdrakis, Athens University Medical School, 1st Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, 74 Vas. Sofias Avenue, Athens 11528, Greece. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background: Increased heartbeat perception accuracy (HBP-accuracy) may contribute to the pathogenesis of Panic Disorder (PD) without or with Agoraphobia (PDA). Extant research suggests that HBP-accuracy is a rather stable individual characteristic, moreover predictive of worse long-term outcome in PD/PDA patients. However, it remains still unexplored whether HBP-accuracy adversely affects patients’ short-term outcome after structured cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for PD/PDA. Aim: To explore the potential association between HBP-accuracy and the short-term outcome of a structured brief-CBT for the acute treatment of PDA. Method: We assessed baseline HBP-accuracy using the “mental tracking” paradigm in 25 consecutive medication-free, CBT-naive PDA patients. Patients then underwent a structured, protocol-based, 8-session CBT by the same therapist. Outcome measures included the number of panic attacks during the past week, the Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire (ACQ), and the Mobility Inventory-Alone subscale (MI-alone). Results: No association emerged between baseline HBP-accuracy and posttreatment changes concerning number of panic attacks. Moreover, higher baseline HBP-accuracy was associated with significantly larger reductions in the scores of the ACQ and the MI-alone scales. Conclusion: Our results suggest that in PDA patients undergoing structured brief-CBT for the acute treatment of their symptoms, higher baseline HBP-accuracy is not associated with worse short-term outcome concerning panic attacks. Furthermore, higher baseline HBP-accuracy may be associated with enhanced therapeutic gains in agoraphobic cognitions and behaviours.

Keywords

Cognitive-behaviour therapyheartbeat perceptioninteroceptionpanic disorder with agoraphobia
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , July 2015 , pp. 426 - 435
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2013 

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