[Pharmacological support of exposure therapy in anxiety disorders. Animal experiment studies].
The fear-potentiated startle paradigm (i.e., the enhancement of the startle response in the presence of an aversive conditioned stimulus) is a valuable cross-species model for the study of the neuronal mechanisms underlying fear and anxiety as well as of the cognitive control of those aversive states. Walker et al. present data from a study in rats indicating that extinction of fear in the fear-potentiated startle paradigm is enhanced by the partial agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor D-cycloserine (DCS). The authors therefore suggest tests of DCS in clinical trials as a potential pharmacotherapeutic adjuvant for exposition therapies in fear and anxiety disorders.
Koch
M
M
Universität Bremen, Institut für Hirnforschung, Abt. Neuropharmakologie, Postfach 330440, 28334 Bremen. michael.koch@uni-bremen.de
D000818:Animals; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects*; D003523:Cycloserine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects*
D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D003523:Cycloserine