Final answer:
The amygdala, particularly its subdivisions like the basolateral complex and the central nucleus, is associated with panic disorder. It plays a crucial role in emotional processing and regulation, including fear and anxiety. The limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, generally relates to mood and anxiety disorders.
Step-by-step explanation:
The area of the brain that is associated with panic disorder is the amygdala. The amygdala, with its subnuclei including the basolateral complex and the central nucleus, has critical roles in processing emotions such as fear and anxiety. The basolateral complex is key for classical conditioning and for attaching emotional value to memory and learning processes. The central nucleus is instrumental in regulating attention as well as the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems' activity through its connections with the hypothalamus and brainstem areas. Furthermore, the amygdala is part of the larger limbic system, which also includes the hippocampus, another structure relevant to emotional processing and also linked with mood and anxiety disorders.