title: Recent advances in the psychopharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders.
abstract: The authors review recent progress in the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders. Most research within the last five years has focused on panic disorder; the findings include support for the usefulness of imipramine and clomipramine and probably other agents; evidence that the benzodiazepines alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam, and clonazepam are approximately equally effective as antipanic agents; and high variability in relapse rates after discontinuation of drug treatment. Further work is required to determine whether buspirone and other forthcoming serotonin agonist drugs have a role in treating panic disorder and other anxiety disorders. For generalized anxiety disorder, scientific studies do not support the effectiveness of beta blocker; tricyclics may be potentially useful. Psychopharmacological treatments for social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder are also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lydiard
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Roy-Byrne
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ballenger
mesh_terms: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D010200:Panic / Q000187:drug effects; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents