Panic attacks can be terrifying for sufferers (Picture: Getty) A breakthrough discovery could lead to new drugs that prevent people from suffering panic attacks. People suffering from panic disorder experience frequent and unexpected attacks which trigger symptoms of overwhelming fear, sweaty palms, shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate. Now, researchers in the US observing panic attacks in mice identified a brain circuit of specialised neurons that could be controlled to mediate panic disorder. The scientists located an area of the brain involved in generating panic and bringing about emotional and physical changes. The research team, from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, also found that by inhibiting certain signals they could reduce panic symptoms – offering hope for the development of drugs to alleviate panic disorder. The Salk scientists, based in California, set out to map the regions and connections of the brain that cause panic attacks.