Mismatch negativity indices of enhanced preattentive automatic processing in panic disorder as measured by a multi-feature paradigm

Panic disorder (PD) is a mental disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks and worrying about having subsequent attacks. Mismatch negativity (MMN) has been established as a correlate of preattentive automatic processing. The aim of the present study is to investigate the preattentive automatic information processing in PD patients as measured by MMN. Subjects included 15 medication-free patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of PD and 15 age-matched healthy volunteers. MMN was investigated using event-related potentials. The protocol used a multi-feature paradigm. Mean amplitudes and peak latencies were subjected to repeated-measures ANOVAs. PD patients showed a significantly increased MMN of sound intensity and location compared with healthy participants. The correlation between the amplitudes of intensity-MMN and disease severity was also significant. These data provide evidence of anomalous preattentive automatic information processing in PD patients. In particular, the abnormality may be specific for PD. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.