Trait dissociation affects the behavioral response to cholecystokinin tetrapeptide in healthy man.

Trait dissociation might influence the response to panicogens in normal controls. The behavioral effects of 25 microg of cholecystokinin tetrapeptide (CCK-4) were studied in 18 healthy men, nine each with high or low trait dissociation. Subjects with high trait dissociation showed a significantly lower increase of acute dissociative, anxiety and panic symptoms compared with subjects with low trait dissociation. Trait dissociation should be assessed in further behavioral challenge studies as a potentially important covariate.