People with panic disorder experience many symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest pain, and fear of losing control or dying. The Healthy Place says that panic disorder has several biological causes, but also states that environment and personality can contribute to the development of the condition. Understanding what causes a person to experience panic attacks is the best way to determine treatment for that person.
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters in the brain are responsible for sending messages within the brain that enable it to tell the body what to do. According to Health Newsflash, people with panic disorder may have abnormalities in the receptors that help reduce anxiety. The Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders says that people who experience panic attacks may be more sensitive to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air and an increase in sodium lactate, which appears in the muscles when they are tired, as with exercise. Due to this, these individuals experience panic attacks, making experts theorize that they may have an altered biological make-up.
Amygdala
The amygdala is the part of the brain that is responsible for producing the emotion of fear and the response to stress, says The Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. The amygdala sometimes releases a false signal that a person isn't getting enough oxygen, which can produce a panic attack. In addition, a person's amygdala releases memories of past experiences, which often produce fear if the new situation is similar to one that produced terror in the past.
Genetics
According to Healthy Place, 20 to 25 percent of people who have panic disorder have a close relative who also has the condition. Genetics can affect a person's personality and some traits make it easier for panic to manifest. Healthy Place says that sometimes a genetic defect can affect the genes that regulate the release of dopamine and serotonin, two substances in the brain that are important to emotions and how they present themselves in a person. Health Newsflash maintains that twin studies have indicated strong genetic ties in terms of the heredity of panic disorder. This is shown by studying identical and fraternal twins with panic attacks. Identical twins have higher rates of both having the disorder since their genes are more similar than those of fraternal twins.
