Open-label trial of riluzole in generalized anxiety disorder.
OBJECTIVE
There is a need to identify novel pharmacotherapies for anxiety disorders. The authors examined the safety and efficacy of riluzole, an antiglutamatergic agent, in adult outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder.


METHODS
In an 8-week, open-label, fixed-dose study, 18 medically healthy patients with DSM-IV generalized anxiety disorder received treatment with riluzole (100 mg/day) following a 2-week drug-free period. The primary efficacy measure was the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) score at endpoint.


RESULTS
Twelve of the 15 patients who completed the trial responded positively to riluzole. At 8 weeks, eight of the 15 patients had HAM-A score indicating remission of their anxiety. The median time to response was 2.5 weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
Riluzole appears to be an effective, well-tolerated, and rapidly acting anxiolytic medication for some patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Larger, placebo-controlled studies are indicated.
Mathew
Sanjay J
SJ
Department of Biological Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, USA. sanjay.mathew@mssm.edu
Amiel
Jonathan M
JM
Coplan
Jeremy D
JD
Fitterling
Heidi A
HA
Sackeim
Harold A
HA
Gorman
Jack M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019782:Riluzole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D019782:Riluzole