ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the change and related factors of nitric oxide,nitric oxide synthase level and cerebral blood flow(CBF) in panic disorder.Methods:30 patients with panic disorder,30 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and 22 normal controls entered the study.Serum level of NO and NOS were assayed.Cerebral blood flow were measured with TCD.Results:The concentration of NO was significantly lower in panic disorder group in comparison with GAD group.There was no significant difference in NOS level between panic disorder group and the control group.Cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the left and right middle cerebral artery and mean cerebral blood flow velocity in the right middle cerebral artery were lower than normal control group and the difference were very significant.Cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the right vertebral artery was lower than those of GAD and NC group.The concentration of NO in panic disorder was correlated with HAMA score negatively.Cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the left middle cerebral artery was correlated with mean Cerebral blood flow velocity in the left middle cerebral artery,peak CBF velocity in the right middle cerebral artery and psychological anxiety positively and correlated to cerebral blood peak mean velocity in the right middle cerebral artery,peak CBF velocity in the right anterior cerebral artery,age and female negatively.Cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the right middle cerebral artery has positive correlation with mean cerebral blood flow velocity in the right middle cerebral artery and peak CBF locity in the right anterior cerebral artery and negative correlation with cerebral blood mean flow velocity in the right anterior cerebral artery. Mean cerebral blood flow velocity in the right middle cerebral artery was correlated to cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the right middle cerebral artery,mean cerebral blood flow velocity in the left middle cerebral artery,cerebral blood mean flow velocity in the right anterior cerebral artery and NO level positively and age,cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the left middle cerebral artery and cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the right anterior cerebral artery negatively.Cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the right vertebra artery has positive correlation with cerebral blood mean flow velocity in the right vertebra artery and cerebral blood mean flow velocity in the left middle cercbral artery and negative correlation with cerebral blood peak flow velocity in the left anterior cerebral artery and cerebral blood mean flow velocity in the right anterior cerebral artery.Conclusion:The change of NO and cerebral blood flow may be one of the neurobiological mechanisms in panic disorder.To assay the level of NO and measure cerebral blood flow might become approach of diagnosis for panic disorder.