What happens in the brain when we experience a panic attack?

What happens in the brain when we experience a panic attack?: Scientific American


Recently researchers have identified certain regions of the brain that become hyperactive during a panic attack. These regions include the amygdala, which is the fear center of the brain, and parts of the midbrain that control a range of functions, including our experience of pain. A study performed by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging at University College London used functional MRI to locate which specific brain regions kick in when a person senses an imminent threat. They found activity in an area of the midbrain called the periaqueductal gray, a region that provokes the body’s defensive responses, such as freezing or running. Dean Mobbs, the lead author on the study, wrote: “When our defense mechanisms malfunction, this may result in an overexaggeration of the threat, leading to increased anxiety and, in extreme cases, panic.”