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Panic Attacks: Klein's False Suffocation Alarm, Taylor and Rachman's Data, and Ley's Dyspneic-Fear Theory

Ronald Ley, PhD
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996;53(1):83-83. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830010085012
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In a recent letter on Klein's1 false suffocation alarm theory of panic attacks, Taylor and Rachman2 reported two sets of data that purportedly support predictions derived from the theory. One set supports the validity of their measure of suffocation fear3 as an index of the sensitivity of the putative suffocation alarm: "As predicted, subjects with high suffocation fear reported significantly more panic attacks than subjects with low suffocation fear... "2 The other set gave the results of a brief structured interview,2 in which subjects with high suffocation fears reported a significantly greater incidence of panic in enclosed spaces and in other situations and a greater incidence of spontaneous panic than did subjects with low suffocation fears.

The primary point to be made here is that Taylor and Rachman's results also support Ley's4 theory of panic, a theory predicated on the assumption that the classic "panic

REFERENCES

Klein DF.  False suffocation alarms, spontaneous panics, and related conditions: an integrative hypothesis . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1993;;50:306-317.
Taylor S, Rachman S.  Klein's suffocation theory of panic . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1994;;51:505-506.
Rachman S, Taylor S.  Analyses of claustrophobia . J Anxiety Disord . 1993;;7:281-291.
Ley R.  Dyspneic-fear and catastrophic cognitions in hyperventilatory panic attacks . Behav Res Ther . 1989;;27:549-554.
Ley R.  The many faces of Pan: psychological and physiological differences among three types of panic attacks . Behav Res Ther . 1992;;30:347-357.
Ley R.  The 'suffocation alarm' theory of panic attacks: a critical commentary . J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry . 1994;;24:269-273.
Fowler W.  Breaking point of breath holding . J Appl Physiol . 1954;;6:536-545.

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Klein DF.  False suffocation alarms, spontaneous panics, and related conditions: an integrative hypothesis . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1993;;50:306-317.
Taylor S, Rachman S.  Klein's suffocation theory of panic . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1994;;51:505-506.
Rachman S, Taylor S.  Analyses of claustrophobia . J Anxiety Disord . 1993;;7:281-291.
Ley R.  Dyspneic-fear and catastrophic cognitions in hyperventilatory panic attacks . Behav Res Ther . 1989;;27:549-554.
Ley R.  The many faces of Pan: psychological and physiological differences among three types of panic attacks . Behav Res Ther . 1992;;30:347-357.
Ley R.  The 'suffocation alarm' theory of panic attacks: a critical commentary . J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry . 1994;;24:269-273.
Fowler W.  Breaking point of breath holding . J Appl Physiol . 1954;;6:536-545.

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