The cholecystokinin hypothesis of panic and anxiety disorders: a review

It has been suggested that cholecystokinin, a neurotransmitter found in high density in mammalian brain, might be implicated in the neurobiology of panic and anxiety disorders. Cholecystokinin-tetrapeptide induces panic attacks analogous to spontaneous panic attacks in patients suffering from panic disorder and to a much lesser degree in healthy volunteers, suggesting an enhanced sensitivity to cholecystokinin-tetrapeptide in panic disorder. In animal models of anxiety, pre-treatment with cholecystokinin antagonists significantly decreases the anxiogenic effects of cholecystokinin agonists. This paper reviews clinical and basic studies supporting an involvement for cholecystokinin in panic and anxiety disorders.