The hippocampus and panic disorder: Evidence from animal and human studies

Abstract

Panic disorder (PD) is a highly incapacitating psychiatric disorder. Its wide range of somatic and psychological symptoms makes it plausible that a number of different brain structures and circuits are likely to mediate this condition. In this chapter we highlight the possible contributions of the hippocampus, a key brain region involved in the regulation of cognition (learning/memory), mood and defensive responses (fear/anxiety), for the pathophysiology of PD. This chapter will present the anatomy of the hippocampus and highlight its role in emotional regulation, so that an understanding of the involvement of the hippocampus in PD can be drawn. Evidence from both animal and human findings on this topic will be approached. Particularly, the capacity of the hippocampus to continually generate newly functional neurons throughout life, a phenomenon called adult hippocampal neurogenesis, will be pointed as part of the key future directions for the study of the neurobiological basis of PD.