Panic attacks. The trembling, shortness of breath or severe chest pain often comes without warning. You can be at home alone, boarding a train, sitting at a meeting, or, if you’re a student, studying for an exam. Suddenly comes the feeling of danger or doom. The throat tightens. Swallowing becomes difficult. Palms become sweaty. Dizziness or nausea might follow.
Many of us will experience one or two panic attacks in our lifetime, often during stressful periods. But for others, panic attacks will become more frequent and severe, turning into a panic disorder that requires treatment. A Yale University graduate who experienced panic attacks while he was a student has taken action to help alleviate conditions associated with anxiety through his $3 million research gift.
Herbert M. Allison rose through the ranks of the Navy and then the financial world until 2009, when he was appointed to serve as assistant secretary for financial stability at the Department of the Treasury. But Allison’s experiences with panic led to the gift from his family foundation that helped establish the Psychiatry ResearchScholars Program at Yale.
The National Institutes of Health says that anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and phobias such a social phobia or agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in a place with no immediate escape. Approximately 40 million American adults 18 and older, about 20 percent, in a given year, have what is defined as an anxiety disorder. Of this group, approximately 6 million have panic disorder.
John H. Krystal, chairman of the department of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, elaborated on this new program and the young scholars involved. He pointed out: “This project was a very special type of collaboration between Mr. Allison, a man who challenged us to ‘think big,’ and the Yale team consisting of Dr. Matthew State, head of this new program, Dr. Fred Volkmar, head of the Yale Child Study Center, and myself. In our discussions, we came to focus on a special scientific opportunity.”
He added that “we saw the donation from Mr. Allison as a catalyst to kick-start the careers of these young investigators along directions that our team agrees should have a significant impact on the field. We will bring a group of outside scientists to Yale to monitor our progress and advise us on new opportunities over upcoming years.”
Krystal holds the title of “Robert L. McNeil Jr. professor of translational research” at Yale.
Translational research is typically described in bench-to-bedside terms. Scientific discoveries often begin “at the bench” during the basic research stage in which scientists study disease at a molecular or cellular level. The translation takes place when research progresses to the clinical or practical level at the patient’s “bedside” through treatment or medication.
With panic disorder, treatment is always advised because proper medication is an important avenue to alleviate symptoms, restore balance and improve quality of life.
Rita Watson, MPH, ( ritawatson.com ) is a regular contributor to The Journal and a relationship columnist for our “All About You” section.