Basilar artery blood flow was measured by transcranial Doppler
ultrasonography before and during hyperventilation in nine patients with
panic disorder and nine normal comparison subjects. The
hyperventilation-induced decrease in basilar artery blood flow was
significantly greater in patients with panic attacks than in comparison
subjects. Two patients with decreases in basilar flow greater than 80% were
successfully treated with nimodipine, a centrally active calcium channel
blocker.
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