Monotherapy with quetiapine seems to be efficacious in reducing symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder and this effect may be similar to that of antidepressants .
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are common and disabling conditions , with a lifetime prevalence of 17 % in the general population .
Due to high rates of treatment resistance , there is interest in new pharmacological treatment options such as second-generation antipsychotics .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of second-generation antipsychotics as monotherapy or adjunctive treatment for people with anxiety disorders .
Preliminary experience with adjunctive quetiapine in patients receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Treatment of depression and anxiety disorders with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) has been shown by numerous studies to be generally effective . Less well understood is how clinical ly to address the residual anxiety symptoms a significant minority of such patients treated with SSRIs continue to experience . We assessed quetiapine as adjunctive therapy to SSRIs for patients with anxiety symptoms complicating a depressive or anxiety disorder . Patients receiving a stable dosage of an SSRI for at least 6 weeks who also had persistent anxiety symptoms ( Hamilton Anxiety scale [ HAM‐A ] ≥16 ) , were enrolled in a 9‐week , open‐label , variable dose study . Changes in clinical status were assessed with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( HAM‐D ) , HAM‐A , and State Anxiety Inventory ( SAI ) . Statistically and clinical ly significant reductions of ≥50 % in the HAM‐D and HAM‐A occurred by the second week of treatment in 10 of the 11 patients . These improvements continued throughout the study along with a significant improvement on the SAI scale . The most frequent side effects reported were mild dry mouth , constipation , and transient drowsiness with dose escalation . The results provide evidence that quetiapine may be an effective adjunctive treatment for recalcitrant anxiety symptoms in individuals treated with SSRIs for either anxiety or depressive disorders . Given the open‐label design of the trial , more rigorous studies are clearly indicated . Depression and Anxiety 19:121‐126 , 2004 . © 200 Wiley‐Liss ,
Monotherapy with quetiapine seems to be efficacious in reducing symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder and this effect may be similar to that of antidepressants .
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are common and disabling conditions , with a lifetime prevalence of 17 % in the general population .
Due to high rates of treatment resistance , there is interest in new pharmacological treatment options such as second-generation antipsychotics .
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of second-generation antipsychotics as monotherapy or adjunctive treatment for people with anxiety disorders .