The effect of anticipatory anxiety on breathing and metabolism in humans

Respiratory patterns are influenced by cortical and limbic factors and generated by a complex interaction between metabolic requirements and their behavioral effects. Our previous results showed that the temporal pole and the amygdala in the limbic system are related to anxiety and associated with an increase of respiratory frequency, especially in high trait anxiety subjects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between respiratory patterns and metabolic output during the production of anticipatory anxiety. In all subjects, fR increased without changes in V-O2, V-CO2, and HR; and PETCO2 decreased during anticipatory anxiety. In the subjects with high trait anxiety. the increase of fR and the decrease of TE were larger than those in the subjects with low trait anxiety. These results Suggest that an increase in respiratory frequency is not related to metabolic factors and is consistent with a mechanism involving the limbic system modulating respiratory drive. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.