Abstract

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate whether the nocturnal panic attack has different features and might be considered as a sub type or not Methods Socio demo graphic data form SCID-I SCID-II Panic and Agoraphobia Scale PAS Hamilton Depression Scale HAM-D Beck Anxiety Scale and Bak rkoy Panic Disorder Behavioral Changes Form we reapplied to the participants Fifty-one of the 98 patients were suffering from Nocturnal Panic Attacks according to the inclusion exclusion criteria Results It was revealed that 47 9 of the panic disorder patients were suffering from nocturnal panic attacks The most frequent symptoms in nocturnal panic disorder cases were experiences of feelings like drowning lethargy palpitation vertigo fear of death and anxiety The existence of nocturnal panic attacks was found to be related with severity of the disorder and com or bid depression Moreover com or bid sleep disturbances characterized with troubles in falling sleep difficulty in sustaining sleep feeling tired in the morning were observed There were sleep related avoidance sand behavioral changes Panic disorder patients with nocturnal panic attacks were found to avoid sleeping or going to bed al one Conclusions Panic disorder cases with nocturnal panic attacks had more severe symptoms From here it can be concluded that it might be a subtype of panic disorder