MedGen

A category of psychiatric disorders which are characterized by anxious feelings or fear often accompanied by physical symptoms associated with anxiety. [from NCI]

An anxiety disorder characterized by multiple unexpected panic attacks with persistent concern of recurring attacks. Panic disorder may or may not be accompanied by agoraphobia. [from NCI]

The DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) defines panic disorder as the spontaneous, unexpected occurrence of panic attacks followed by persistent concern, worry, and anxiety about having additional panic attacks. Panic attacks are defined as a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in which at least 4 of 13 symptom criteria are met that develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes. Some of these criteria include cardiac palpitations, sweating, feelings of choking, fear of losing control, and fear of dying. Panic disorder is divided into panic disorder with or without accompanying agoraphobia. However, agoraphobia can also occur without panic disorder, and panic attacks can occur in the absence of panic disorder. Comorbidity with depressive and addictive disorders is frequent. Barlow et al. (1994) and Smoller and Tsuang (1998) noted that because the diagnostic criteria remain purely clinical, the nosology of anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, is controversial and evolving. Therefore, it is difficult to do genetic studies because of the difficulty in delineating overlapping phenotypes within the broader context of anxiety disorders. For example, there may be overlap of panic with specific phobias, variable expressivity of panic and anxiety or depression, or phenocopies within a family. The terms 'anxiety neurosis' and 'phobic neurosis' were used in the past (before the DSM-III in 1980) to encompass all of these disorders. Smoller and Tsuang (1998) suggested that dimensional personality traits, such as shyness, behavioral inhibition, and neuroticism (see 607834), could be used to define an anxiety phenotype. Schumacher et al. (2011) provided a review of the genetics of panic disorder. They noted that there is high (80%) comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, including agoraphobia, mood disorders, substance abuse, and other anxiety disorders. Associated personality traits include anxiety sensitivity, behavioral inhibition, neuroticism, and harm avoidance. Women are more susceptible to development of the disorder, which has an average age of onset at 23.6 years. Genetic Heterogeneity of Susceptibility to Panic Disorder Susceptibility to panic disorder-1 (PAND1) has been mapped to chromosome 13q. See also PAND2 (607853), mapped to chromosome 9, and PAND3 (609985), mapped to chromosome 4. [from OMIM]

Behavior that consists of repetitive acts, characterized by the feeling that one "has to" perform them, while being aware that these acts are not in line with one's overall goal. [from HPO]

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by recurring obsessions and/or compulsions and has been estimated to affect nearly 5 million people in the United States (Karno et al., 1988). Evidence for a strong genetic component in OCD comes from twin studies, family genetics studies, and segregation analyses, as reviewed by Alsobrook et al. (2002). Zhang et al. (2002) suggested that hoarding is likely to be an evolutionarily conserved trait that, in times of adversity, was associated with increased survival and reproductive fitness. However, extreme forms of this trait are associated with marked disability and poor response to treatment (Black et al., 1998; Mataix-Cols et al., 1999). [from OMIM]

A joint disorder caused by blood deprivation in the subchondral bone causing the subchondral bone to die in a process called avascular necrosis. The bone is then reabsorbed by the body, leaving the articular cartilage it supported prone to damage. The result is fragmentation (dissection) of both cartilage and bone, and the free movement of these osteochondral fragments within the joint space, causing pain and further damage. [from HPO]

Extreme, irrational, and persistent fears of certain objects, situations, activities, or persons can impede functioning in day-to-day life. [from HPO]

An abnormal fear of being in a closed or narrow space with no escape is called claustrophobia. [from HPO]