Cholecystokinin concentrations in the CSF of 25 patients with panic
disorder and 16 normal comparison subjects were ascertained by
radioimmunoassay. The patients with panic disorder had significantly lower
CSF concentrations of cholecystokinin, which may reflect increased CNS
cholecystokinin receptor sensitivity, reduced numbers of receptors, or a
compensatory reduction in cholecystokinin octapeptide secondary to
theoretically increased central cholecystokinin tetrapeptide activity.
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