The efficacy of breathing retraining and the centrality of hyperventilation in panic disorder: a reinterpretation of experimental findings

The present paper addresses de Ruiter, Rijken, Garssen, and Kraaimaat's (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 27, 647-655, 1989) interpretation of data pertaining to the efficacy of breathing retraining in the treatment of panic disorder. The proffered reinterpretation of these data makes it clear that breathing retraining led to a significant reduction in the frequency of panic attacks. These findings thus lend additional support to the central role of hyperventilation in primary panic attacks.