Effects of low-dose cholecystokinin on respiratory function in healthy volunteers.

Injection of high doses of cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4), a recent experimental model for panic, causes panic attacks and respiratory stimulation, a key feature of panic, in healthy volunteers. However, it has not yet been established whether respiratory stimulation is specifically linked to panic or merely an effect of arousal in general. Results of the present study show that respiratory stimulation is not merely linked to higher arousal and suggest a link between CCK-provoked panic and respiratory stimulation.