Associate Professor, Psychology

Research Summary

Why do patients with panic disorder feel dizzy and fear that they may faint, even though the never do; while patients with blood phobia experience the same symptoms and do faint? And why is it that some individuals even take comfort in seeing their own blood and engaging in self-injury? Are lay instructions such as “taking a deep breath when feeling panicky” really helpful? What triggers seemly “out-of-the blue” panic attacks? Can we predict who is most likely to respond or fail to respond to a specific type of psychosocial treatment? 

In my research I focus on identifying disorder-specific mechanisms (cognitive, behavioral, and biological) that may contribute to differential symptom production among the anxiety disorders. Of particular interest is the question of how different therapeutic techniques can affect and change these assumed “symptom producer”.

In my anxiety program, I am investigating symptom changes in traditional (cognitive behavioral) and novel (biobehavioral, mindful, acceptance) interventions, with the goal to better understand what might be the active ingredients of various types of psychotherapy and who will respond best to a particular treatment.

Selected Publications

Meuret, A.E., Wolitzky-Taylor, K., Twohig, M.P., & Craske, M.G. (in press). Coping skills and exposure therapy in panic disorder and agoraphobia: Latest advances and future directions. Behavior Therapy.

Meuret, A.E., Rosenfield, D., Wilhelm, F.H., Zhou, E., Conrad, A., Ritz, T., & Roth, W.T. (in press).
Do Unexpected Panic Attacks Occur Spontaneously? Biological Psychiatry

Meuret, A.E., Hofmann, S.G., & Rosenfield, D. (2010). Catastrophic appraisal and perceived control as moderators of treatment response in panic disorder. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 3, 262-277.

Meuret, A.E. & Ritz, T. (2010). Hyperventilation in panic disorder and asthma: Empirical evidence and clinical strategies. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 78, 68-79.

Meuret, A.E., Rosenfield, D., Seidel, A., Bhaskara, L. & Hofmann, S.G. (2010). Respiratory and cognitive mediators of treatment change in panic disorder: Evidence for intervention specificity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 691-704.

Ayala, E.S., Meuret, A.E., & Ritz, T. (2010). Confrontation with blood and disgust stimuli precipitates respiratory dysregulation in blood-injection-injury phobia. Biological Psychology, 84, 88-97.

Meuret, A.E., Rosenfield, D., Hofmann, S.G., Suvak, M. K., & Roth, W.T. (2009). Changes in respiration mediate changes in fear of bodily sensations in panic disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research 43,634-41.

Meuret, A.E., Wilhelm, F.H., Ritz, T., & Roth, W.T. (2008). Feedback of end-tidal pCO2 as a therapeutic approach for panic disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 42, 560-8.

Hofmann, S.G., Meuret, A.E., Rosenfield, D., Suvak, M.K., Barlow, D.H., Gorman, J.M., Shear, M.K., & Woods, S.W. (2007). Preliminary evidence for cognitive mediation during cognitive behavioral therapy of panic disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 374-79.

Meuret, A.E., Ritz, T., Wilhelm, F.H., & Roth, W.T. (2007). Targeting pCO2 in asthma: Pilot evaluation of a capnometry-assisted breathing training. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 32, 99-109.

Hofmann, S.G., Schultz, S., Meuret, A.E., Moscovich, D., & Suvak, M. (2006). Sudden gains during therapy of social phobia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 687-697.

Meuret, A.E., White, K. S., Ritz, T., Roth, W.T., Hofmann, S.G., & Brown, T.  (2006). Panic Attack Symptom Dimensions and their relationship to illness characteristics in panic disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 40, 520-527.