The platelet intracellular calcium response to serotonin and thrombin in patients with panic disorder

Abstract

Serotonin is implicated in both the biology of depression and anxiety. The aim of this study was to examine the platelet intracellular calcium response to serotonin and thrombin using spectroflouromery in 14 patients with DSM-4 panic disorder compared to 14 matched controls. Patients did not show significantly higher baseline platelet intracellular calcium levels and serotonin stimulated levels of intracellular calcium than control subjects. There was a much smaller standard deviation in the control subjects than in the panic patients. The intracellular calcium response to thrombin activation was however greater in panic patients than in control subjects (P < 0.001). The failure of this stud..