Anticonvulsants in anxiety disorders.
Anticonvulsant drugs have shown promising results in the treatment of mood disorders, leading to the investigation of their potential efficacy in other psychiatric disorders. Numerous case reports, open-label trials, and placebo- controlled trials investigating the use of anticonvulsants in the treatment of anxiety disorders have yielded broad and varying results. Generally, these studies have indicated a potential role for anticonvulsants in the treatment of anxiety as monotherapy or augmentation therapy; however, these early findings must be supported by additional investigation in large-scale, placebo-controlled studies. This article reviews past and current research being done in this novel area of psychopharmacology.
Kinrys
Gustavo
G
Anxiety Disorders Research Program, Cambridge Health Alliance-Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. gkinrys@challiance.org
Wygant
Lisa E
LE
D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans
D000927:Anticonvulsants