Study carried on by the UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro Federal University, demonstrates that caffeine may trigger Panic crisis.
They used 480mg of caffeine, as much as 5 cups of coffee, ingested in 15 minutes. The group was composed of 40 patients either healthy or whom suffered of Panic Syndrome, depression and few other psychiatric.
Those who suffered of Panic Syndrome or depression associated to Panic Syndrome display more crisis after ingesting this ammount of caffeine than the other groups.
According to the psychiatrist Antonio Egídio Nardi, professor of UFRJ medicine school, this discovery may be used in future treatments for Panic Syndrome, he says: “With a controlled dose, it might be possible to produce a light version of crisis and help the patient to deal with them”.
Source: UOL – Science Channel
http://cienciaesaude.uol.com.br/ultnot/2007/12/10/ult4477u256.jhtm
