A phase II multicenter dose-finding, efficacy and safety trial of ipsapirone in outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder Paroxetine efficacy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder The diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Antidepressants for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. A placebo-controlled comparison of imipramine, trazodone, and diazepam. Variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene and treatment response to venlafaxine XR in generalized anxiety disorder Efficacy and Safety of Lesopitron in Outpatients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder The safety and efficacy of ipsapirone vs. lorazepam in outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): single site findings from a multicenter trial. Paroxetine in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: results of a placebo-controlled, flexible-dosage trial. Efficacy of Agomelatine in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: a double-blind, prospective comparison between paroxetine and sertraline. A pilot controlled trial of bupropion XL versus escitalopram in generalized anxiety disorder. Balneotherapy versus paroxetine in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Aripiprazole as augmentation treatment of refractory generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Tiagabine in Adult Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Results From 3 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Studies Efficacy and Tolerability of an mGlu2/3 Agonist in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Results of a naturalistic longitudinal study of benzodiazepine and SSRI use in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia. Psychopharmacotherapy of somatoform disorders: effects of opipramol on symptoms of somatization, anxiety, and depression.
Benzodiazepines have been prescribed for the treatment of  Generalized Anxiety Disorder ( GAD ) for nearly three decades due to their proven anxiolytic efficacy , despite a considerable side effect and abuse liability profile . A new class of compounds , the azapirones , have been developed as an alternative to benzodiazepine treatment . Ipsapirone is a novel anxiolytic azapirone which has high specificity for the 5-HT1A receptor and which has the potential for offering certain advantages over buspirone . The present 5-week study investigated three doses of ipsapirone ( 2.5 mg , 5.0 mg and 7.5 mg tid ) versus placebo in 267 GAD out patients .  Efficacy was evaluated using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale ( HAM-A ) , Zung Anxiety Scale ( Zung-A ) , and Clinical Global Impression ( CGI ) . The study design consisted of a 1-week placebo run-in , a 4-week double-blind treatment period , and a 1-week placebo washout . The 5.0 mg group demonstrated consistently superior improvement in all efficacy variables during the treatment period , with significant differences ( p < 0.05 ) from placebo and , at times , the 2.5 mg and 7.5 mg groups . Incidence of adverse events , primarily dizziness , nausea , sedation , and asthenia , was found to be dose proportional , with significant increase in the 7.5 mg group , which may account for the diminished effectiveness seen with this dose . Our results suggest that ipsapirone may represent a viable treatment for GAD Recently , there has been a renewed interest in alternatives to the benzodiazepines for the treatment of  generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) . The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of paroxetine vs. imipramine and 2′‐chlordesmethyldiazepam in 81 patients with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of GAD . Approximately two‐thirds of the patients who completed the study improved greatly or moderately on all three active drugs . During the first 2 weeks of treatment , 2′‐chlordesmethyldiazepam treatment result ed in the greatest improvement in anxiety ratings . Both paroxetine and imipramine treatment result ed in more improvement than 2′‐chlordesmethyldiazepam by the fourth week of treatment . Paroxetine and imipramine affect predominantly psychic symptoms , whereas 2′‐chlordesmethyldiazepam affects predominantly somatic symptoms . Our results suggest that paroxetine is effective for the treatment of GAD BACKGROUND Generalized anxiety disorder  ( GAD ) is a common and serious disease with a lifetime prevalence of 4.3 % to 5.9 % . It is underdiagnosed in primary care . METHODS Recommendations on the treatment of GAD are given on the basis of all available findings from pertinent r and omized trials , retrieved by a selective search of the literature . RESULTS Among psychotherapeutic techniques , various kinds of cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) have been found useful in controlled trials . The drugs of first choice include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) , serotonin-norepinephine reuptake inhibitors ( SNRIs ) , and the calcium-channel modulator pregabalin . Tricyclic antidepressants are also effective but have more adverse effects than SSRIs . Although benzodiazepines are effective anxiolytic agents for short-term use , they should not be given over the long term because of the danger of addiction . Buspirone , an azapirone , was found to be effective in a small number of trials , but the findings across trials are inconsistent . The response rate of GAD to CBT in published studies lies between 47 % and 75 % , while its response rate to drug treatment lies between 44 % and 81 % . CONCLUSION The treatment of GAD with CBT and drugs is evidence -based and has a good chance of improving the manifestations of the disorder OBJECTIVE The current study examines whether antidepressants , contrary to current thinking , are safe and effective treatments for generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) not complicated by depression or panic disorder . DESIGN R and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , flexible-dose , 8-week treatment study comparing imipramine hydrochloride ( mean maximum daily dose , 143 mg ) , trazodone hydrochloride ( 255 mg ) , and diazepam ( 26 mg ) . PATIENTS Two hundred thirty patients with a DSM-III diagnosis of GAD in whom major depression and panic disorder has been excluded , and who had a Hamilton Anxiety Scale total score of at least 18 . SETTING Seventy-five percent of patients were treated in family practice setting s in the community , with the remainder treated in psychiatric practice s , either academic or private . RESULTS Patients treated with diazepam showed the most improvement in anxiety ratings during the first 2 weeks of treatment , with somatic symptoms being most responsive . From week 3 through week 8 trazodone achieved comparable , and imipramine somewhat better , anxiolytic efficacy when compared with diazepam , with psychic symptoms of tension , apprehension , and worry being more responsive to the antidepressants . Among completers , moderate to marked improvement was reported by 73 % of patients treated with imipramine , 69 % of patients treated with trazodone , 66 % of patients treated with diazepam , but only 47 % of patients treated with placebo . Overall , patients treated with antidepressants reported a higher rate of adverse effects than diazepam-treated patients , but attention rates were the same across all treatments . CONCLUSIONS The results of the study need replication , but suggest a potentially important role for antidepressants , particularly imipramine , in patients suffering from GAD Antidepressant drugs are the preferred choice for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) . However , the choice of pharmacotherapy is determined on a trial- and -error basis , as the underlying mechanisms of treatment response are unknown . We examined whether the COMT gene , which has been known to play a role in antidepressant treatment response in major depressive disorder ( MDD ) , has a pharmacogenetic effect in antidepressant treatment response in GAD . In our study , 156 patients diagnosed with GAD received venlafaxine XR treatment as part of an 18-month relapse prevention study . Genotypes were obtained for the COMT functional variant rs4680 ( Val158Met ) for all patients ; however , pharmacogenetic analysis was only conducted for the European American population ( n=112 ) . We found no significant association between our primary Hamilton Anxiety Scale outcome measure and rs4680 . However , we did find a nominally significant allelic association between this variant and a secondary treatment outcome measure ( CGI-I ) in our European American population ( n=112 ) . Furthermore , we show a slight dominant effect of the A-allele with the CGI-I measure in the European American population indicating a possible pharmacogenetic role of rs4680 in antidepressant treatment outcome in GAD . Further studies in a larger population are needed to confirm this effect OBJECTIVE : To compare the relative efficacy and safety of lesopitron 40–80 mg/d versus lorazepam 2–4 mg/d and placebo in a subgroup of patients with anxiety history taken from a larger study of patients with a primary diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) . DESIGN : Six-week , r and omized , double-blind , parallel , placebo and lorazepam-controlled , Phase II , single-center , outpatient study . SETTING : Outpatient clinic . PATIENTS : One hundred sixty-one patients with GAD were r and omized in the main study ; 68 with a documented history of GAD or anxiety disorder not otherwise specified were included in the subgroup . METHODS : After a one-week placebo lead-in , patients were r and omized to receive placebo , lesopitron , or lorazepam twice daily for six weeks , followed by a one-week taper period . Efficacy was assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) and the Clinical Global Impressions scale . Safety was assessed through physical examinations , monitoring of vital signs , 12-lead electrocardiograms , laboratory analyses , and adverse event monitoring . RESULTS : An overall mean improvement in the HAM-A total score between baseline and end point for all three treatment groups was seen , with mean changes of 3.4 ( 95 % CI 2.0 to 4.8 ) , 6.1 ( 95 % CI 4.1 to 8.1 ) , and 6.1 ( 95 % CI 4.6 to 7.6 ) for the placebo , lesopitron , and lorazepam groups , respectively ( omnibus p = 0.044 , uncorrected ) . Positive treatment effects were also observed in the subgroup population on several other measures and suggest that additional therapeutic trials may be warranted . Future trials could be stratified on the basis of referral status ( symptomatic volunteer vs. clinical patient with preexisting illness ) or previous exposure to anxiolytics , and use a fixed-dose rather than flexible-fixed-dose design . CONCLUSIONS : The subgroup analysis represents a comparison of treatment outcome in GAD patients presenting with a history of previous episodes of GAD or anxiety disorder not otherwise specified compared with those who were experiencing their first episode of GAD and reported no anxiety history . Although the overall study analysis was equivocal , for the approximately 40 % of patients with recurrent anxiety disorder , beneficial effects for both lesopitron and lorazepam are suggested We report the findings of a r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , parallel , generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) outpatient study . The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy , safety , and tolerability of ipsapirone , an azapirone and 5-HT1A agonist , given at a total daily dose of 10 mg to 30 mg , with a total daily dose of 2 mg to 6 mg of lorazepam or placebo in 90 out patients with GAD of moderate or greater severity . At baseline , all patients had a Hamilton Anxiety Scale ( HAM-A ) score of > or = 18 and Covi anxiety score of > or = 8 . After a 1-week single-blind washout , patients entered a 4-week double-blind period with an optional extension for another 4 weeks , followed by a 2-week single-blind placebo washout .  Ipsapirone and lorazepam ratings on the HAM-A and Clinical Global Impressions ( CGI ) were significantly ( p < .05 ) superior to placebo at the end of the acute and maintenance periods of the trial , with a 50 percent HAM-A reduction on active drugs vs. 20 percent on placebo . The anxiety of patients receiving lorazepam , but not ipsapirone , rebounded during the final placebo washout BACKGROUND The objective of this r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of paroxetine in out patients with generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) .  METHOD Male and female out patients 18 years and older who met DSM-IV criteria for GAD and had baseline scores of at least 20 on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) were r and omly assigned to treatment with paroxetine ( 20 - 50 mg/day ) or placebo for 8 weeks . The primary efficacy variable was the mean change from baseline in the total score of the HAM-A. Additional key efficacy variables were the change from baseline in the scores of the HAM-A items anxious mood and tension , the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale , and the Sheehan Disability Scale ( SDS ) . The proportions of patients fulfilling response and remission criteria at week 8 were also determined . RESULTS The intent-to-treat population included 324 patients . At week 8 , compared with the placebo group ( N = 163 ) , the paroxetine group ( N = 161 ) had a significantly greater reduction of GAD symptoms on all of the above-mentioned efficacy variables . On the HAM-A anxious mood item , which encompasses the cardinal symptoms of GAD , significantly greater efficacy was observed from week 1 and on the SDS significantly greater improvement was documented in the domain " social life " as early as week 4 for paroxetine compared with placebo . In both the last-observation-carried-forward and completer data sets , significantly greater proportions of paroxetine-treated patients achieved response or remission by week 8 . Treatment with paroxetine was well tolerated , and the number and type of adverse events recorded in the paroxetine group correspond to the known safety profile of this medication . CONCLUSION Paroxetine in doses of 20 to 50 mg once daily is effective in the treatment of patients with GAD . Improvement of core symptoms of GAD occurs early and is associated with significant reduction in disability after only 8 weeks of treatment Background : Agomelatine is a novel agent that acts on melatonergic ( MT1 , MT2 ) receptors and serotonergic ( 5-HT2C ) receptors . Pre clinical data and data from clinical trials in major depression suggest that agomelatine may have anxiolytic properties . A r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial was design ed to assess the efficacy of agomelatine in generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) . Methods : One hundred twenty-one patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fourth Edition GAD and no comorbid disorders were r and omized to agomelatine ( 25 - 50 mg/d ) or placebo for 12 weeks . The primary outcome measure was the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale , whereas secondary outcome measures included the Clinical Global Impression scales , the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Question naire , and the Sheehan Disability Scale . Safety measures included assessment of spontaneously reported adverse events , laboratory monitoring , and the Discontinuation Emergent Signs and Symptoms Scale to evaluate discontinuation symptoms . Results : Analysis of covariance of change in the last Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale total score from baseline demonstrated significant superiority of agomelatine 25 to 50 mg as compared with placebo ( E [ SE ] = −3.28 [ 1.58 ] ; 95 % confidence interval = −6.41 to −0.15 ; P = 0.040 ) . Data on secondary outcome measures , including clinical response , symptoms of insomnia , and improvement in associated disability , were consistent with the efficacy of agomelatine . Safety analysis indicated that agomelatine was tolerated as well as placebo and was devoid of discontinuation emergent symptoms . Conclusions : This study suggests that agomelatine is effective in the treatment of GAD and is well tolerated . Additional trials , using an active comparator and extending over a longer period , are needed to delineate the place of agomelatine in the contemporary pharmacotherapy for anxiety disorders OBJECTIVE Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) appear to be an effective class of medications for the treatment of  generalized anxiety disorder .  Within the SSRI class , however , there have been no comparative treatment studies for this disorder . Therefore , in the present study , we compared the efficacy and tolerability of 2 SSRIs , paroxetine and sertraline , in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder . METHOD In this parallel-group , double-blind , flexible-dose study , 55 patients with primary generalized anxiety disorder ( DSM-IV criteria ) were r and omly assigned to receive either paroxetine or sertraline treatment for 8 weeks . Primary efficacy measures were the mean changes in Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) scores as well as responder and remission rates based on the Clinical Global Impressions scale . Secondary efficacy measures consisted of the Indiana University Generalized Anxiety Measurement Scale and self-report ratings of anxiety , and quality -of-life outcome . Tolerability was assessed using the Systematic Assessment for Treatment Emergent Events question naire for treatment-emergent symptoms . RESULTS The intent-to-treat sample consisted of 53 patients who received medication for at least 1 week . Of the 53 patients , 43 completed the entire 8 weeks of treatment . Both paroxetine and sertraline result ed in significant decreases in mean HAM-A scores ( paroxetine = 57 % + /- 28 % ; sertraline = 56 % + /- 28 % ) . There were no differences between medication groups on response or remission rates , and tolerability was comparable . CONCLUSIONS Both paroxetine and sertraline appear similarly effective and well tolerated for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and safety of bupropion XL ( 150 to 300 mg/day ) with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram ( 10 to 20 mg/day ) in out patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) . METHODS Twenty-four participants with GAD between 18 and 64 years enrolled in a 12-week , double-blind , r and omized trial . The primary efficacy measures were the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement ( CGI-I ) and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale ( HARS ) . RESULTS Bupropion XL demonstrated comparable anxiolytic efficacy to escitalopram in out patients with GAD . Both treatments were well-tolerated . CONCLUSION Findings from this pilot project suggest that bupropion XL may be useful in treating GAD . These preliminary results warrant further research to explore the use of bupropion XL in the treatment of GAD INTRODUCTION Preliminary studies have suggested that balneotherapy ( BT ) is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for  generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) and psychotropic medication withdrawal syndrome .  We carried out a study in 4 spa resorts to assess the efficacy of BT in GAD . METHOD We compared BT to paroxetine in terms of efficacy and safety in a r and omized multicentre study lasting 8 weeks . Patients meeting the diagnostic criteria of GAD ( DSM-IV ) were recruited . Assessment s were conducted using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) and other scales , by a specifically trained and independent physician . The primary outcome measure was the change in the total HAM-A score between baseline and week 8 . RESULTS A total of 237 out patients were enrolled in four centres ; 117 were assigned r and omly to BT and 120 to paroxetine .  The mean change in HAM-A scores showed an improvement in both groups with a significant advantage of BT compared to paroxetine ( -12.0 vs -8.7 ; p<0.001 ) . Remission and sustained response rates were also significantly higher in the BT group ( respectively 19 % vs 7 % and 51 % vs 28 % ) . CONCLUSION BT is an interesting way of treating GAD . Due to its safety profile it could also be tested in resistant forms of generalized anxiety and in patients who do not tolerate or are reluctant to use pharmacotherapies INTRODUCTION Individuals with anxiety disorders often remain symptomatic despite treatment with a first-line pharmacologic agent . More research examining pharmacotherapy augmentation strategies to improve outcomes is needed . METHODS In an 8-week , open-label , prospect i ve augmentation study , we examined the efficacy and tolerability of the novel antipsychotic agent aripiprazole for adult out patients with generalized anxiety disorder ( n=13 ) or panic disorder ( n=10 ) who remained symptomatic despite treatment for at least 8 weeks with an adequate ( or maximally tolerated ) dose of typical pharmacotherapy . RESULTS Aripiprazole augmentation was associated with a significant reduction in Clinical Global Impressions-Severity scores ( paired t=4.41 , df=22 , P<.001 ) in the intent-to-treat sample of 23 individuals . Three subjects ( 13 % ) discontinued due to sedation , chest discomfort , and restlessness , respectively . CONCLUSION These data provide preliminary evidence that aripiprazole may be a useful augmentation strategy for individuals with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder who show a limited response to initial pharmacotherapy The objective of these studies was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of tiagabine , a selective & ggr;-aminobutyric acid reuptake inhibitor , in adult patients with generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) . Patients with a diagnosis of GAD were enrolled in 1 of 3 r and omized , placebo-controlled , 10-week studies . In each study , tiagabine was taken twice daily in divided doses-4 , 8 , or 12 mg/d in a fixed-dose study and 4 - 16 mg/d in two flexible-dose trials . The primary efficacy measure was the change from baseline in the 14-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) total score at the final visit ( last observation carried forward ) . Additional measures included change from baseline in the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale , the Sheehan Disability Scale , and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale . Tolerability was assessed via spontaneous reports as well as rating scales throughout the study period . In all 3 studies , there was no significant differentiation from placebo on the primary measure ( change in HAM-A ) for any tiagabine dose ( P > 0.05 ) . In the 2 flexible-dose studies , the tiagabine group showed improvements over time in the HAM-A that reached significance only in those patients who completed 10 weeks of treatment ( study 2 , P = 0.018 ; study 3 , P = 0.036 ) . The most common adverse events were dizziness , headache , nausea , fatigue , and somnolence . In conclusion , the results of these studies do not support the efficacy of tiagabine in adult patients with GAD LY354740 , a potent and selective mGlu ( metabotropic glutamate receptor)2/3 agonist , has shown efficacy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) . LY544344 is a LY354740 prodrug that increases LY354740 bioavailability . This 8-week study was design ed to evaluate the efficacy , safety , and tolerability of LY544344 in the treatment of GAD . Participants had a diagnoses of GAD , baseline Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety subscale scores ⩾10 , and moderate illness severity . Patients were r and omized to double-blind treatment with LY544344 16 mg b.i.d . ( n=28 ) , LY544344 8 mg b.i.d . ( n=36 ) , or placebo ( n=44 ) . LY544344 16 mg b.i.d.-treated patients showed significantly greater improvement from baseline in Hamilton Anxiety and Clinical Global Impression — Improvement scores , as well as response and remission rates compared with placebo-treated patients . LY544344 was well tolerated and there were no significant differences in the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events among the three treatment groups . However , the trial was discontinued early based on findings of convulsions in pre clinical studies . In conclusion , the findings of this study support the potential efficacy of mGlu2/3 receptor agonist agents in the treatment of GAD . Additional studies will be needed to further assess the toxicological and clinical profile of LY354740/LY544344 The past decade has brought major new developments in the psychopharmacologic management of generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia . We examined medication-prescribing patterns for the treatment of these anxiety disorders for 12 years to assess changes in patients ' anti-anxiety psychotropic medication usage during that period of evolving practice guidelines . We examined psychotropic medication use in 305 patients with generalized anxiety disorder and 232 with social phobia enrolled in the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Disorders Research Project ( HARP ) , a prospect i ve , longitudinal study of anxiety disorders .  Psychotropic treatment patterns seem to have remained relatively stable over 12 years with benzodiazepines the medications most commonly used for both generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia . Comparatively , selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ( SSRI ) and venlafaxine usage as st and -alone medications for these disorders remained low throughout the follow-up period . At the 12-year follow-up , 24 % of patients with generalized anxiety disorder and 30 % of patients with social phobia were utilizing neither an  SSRI/selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor ( SNRI ) nor a benzodiazepine . Treatment recommendations for use of SSRIs and venlafaxine in the management of generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia initially promulgated in 1998 had a modest impact on changes in psychopharmacologic practice 4 - 5 years later . Difficulties in the implementation of treatment guidelines are discussed BACKGROUND The psychopharmacotherapy of somatoform disorders ( SD ; ICD-10 : F45 ) has been less frequently investigated and is not as well established as in other ( neurotic ) disorders of ICD-10 section F4 , i.e. generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ; ICD-10 : F41.1 ) . The atypical compound opipramol is very often used to treat SD and GAD in clinical practice in Germany . However , state-of-the-art controlled clinical trials have not yet been performed . OBJECTIVES Two clinical trials were performed with the aim of confirming the efficacy and tolerability of opipramol in SD and GAD . METHODS Both trials were performed as r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled , multicenter studies . While the GAD trial was a three-arm study with opipramol ( 200 mg/day ) vs. placebo and alprazolam ( 2 mg/day ) for 28 days , the SD trial was a placebo-controlled two-arm study with a treatment duration of 42 days . Each group consisted of about 100 patients . RESULTS Significant differences ( alpha = 0.05 ) were found for the primary efficacy criteria ( HAMA total score in GAD , HAMA somatic subscore in SD ) and most of the secondary criteria in favor of the active drug therapies . Considerable differences between the psychopathology of SD and GAD were detected . CONCLUSION The well-tolerated anxiolytic opipramol is the first psychotropic drug with proven efficacy in somatoform disorders with effects on symptoms of somatization , anxiety , and depression . The compound is also effective and safe in GAD
Azapirones may be less effective than benzodiazepines and we were unable to conclude if azapirones were superior to antidepressants , kava kava or psychotherapy .
Azapirones appeared to be well tolerated .
Azapirones appeared to be useful in the treatment of GAD , particularly for those participants who had not been on a benzodiazepine .
Azapirones may not be superior to benzodiazepines and do not appear as acceptable as benzodiazepines .
Side effects appeared mild and non serious in the azapirone treated group .
Longer term studies are needed to show that azapirones are effective in treating GAD , which is a chronic long-term illness
BACKGROUND Azapirones are a group of drugs that work at the 5-HT1A receptor and are used to treat patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder ( GAD ) .
However , several studies have shown conflicting results .
Whether azapirones are useful as first line treatment in general anxiety disorders still needs to be answered .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and the acceptability of azapirones for the treatment of GAD .