Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 November 2014
Systematic studies on the genetics of panic disorder as a distinct nosologic entity separate from anxiety disorders date back to the 1980s. It is, therefore, a relatively new topic for psychiatric genetic investigation. For this reason, available data are not numerous, but findings ensuing from “classical” methods, such as family and twin studies, suggest the involvement of genetic mechanisms to a broad extent, confirmed by the most recent studies. The approaches of molecular genetics, particularly linkage analyses and association studies exploring candidate genes, have led to inconclusive results but have also provided interesting findings that need to be tested in future research.