Anxiety sensitivity, suffocation fear, and breath-holding duration as predictors of response to carbon dioxide challenge. 1996

R J McNally, and M Eke
Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.

Predictors of response to carbon dioxide challenge (i.e., breathing deeply and rapidly into a paper bag for 5 min) were evaluated in 78 college students. Zero-order correlations revealed that scores on the Suffocation Fear Scale (SFS; S. Rachman & S. Taylor, 1994) and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (S. Reiss, R. A. Peterson, D. M. Gursky, & R. J. McNally, 1986) predicted anxiety and self-reported bodily sensations, whereas a behavioral measure of carbon dioxide sensitivity (i.e., maximum breath-holding duration) did not. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the SFS was the only significant predictor of anxiety and bodily sensations. Just as anxiety sensitivity is a better predictor than trait anxiety of the response to biological challenges in general, suffocation fear is a better predictor than anxiety sensitivity for challenges that increase carbon dioxide.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010555 Personality Inventory Check list, usually to be filled out by a person about himself, consisting of many statements about personal characteristics which the subject checks. Edwards Personal Preference Schedule,Myers-Briggs Type Indicator,Indicator, Myers-Briggs Type,Inventories, Personality,Inventory, Personality,Myers Briggs Type Indicator,Personality Inventories
D002245 Carbon Dioxide A colorless, odorless gas that can be formed by the body and is necessary for the respiration cycle of plants and animals. Carbonic Anhydride,Anhydride, Carbonic,Dioxide, Carbon
D005239 Fear The affective response to an actual current external danger which subsides with the elimination of the threatening condition. Threat Cues,Threat Sensitivity,Cue, Threat,Fears,Sensitivity, Threat,Threat Cue,Threat Sensitivities
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D001007 Anxiety Feelings or emotions of dread, apprehension, and impending disaster but not disabling as with ANXIETY DISORDERS. Angst,Anxiousness,Hypervigilance,Nervousness,Social Anxiety,Anxieties, Social,Anxiety, Social,Social Anxieties
D001143 Arousal Cortical vigilance or readiness of tone, presumed to be in response to sensory stimulation via the reticular activating system. Vigilance, Cortical,Arousals,Cortical Vigilance

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