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 .
A comparison of buspirone, diazepam, and placebo in patients with chronic anxiety states.
Buspirone is an antianxiety compound that has been extensively evaluated in clinical trials : it has proved superior to placebo and comparable to diazepam in the treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder . In this study , 33 out patients with generalized anxiety disorder were entered into a crossover study of 3 weeks each of placebo , buspirone 10 to 30 mg daily , and diazepam 10 to 30 mg daily . Psychiatrist and patient ratings were made , together with psychological tests and EEG and skin conductance measures before and after each treatment . Of the nine dropouts , six were on buspirone at the time of dropout . For the remaining 24 patients , the mean daily doses attained of buspirone and diazepam were both 20 mg . On most clinical ratings diazepam was superior to buspirone and placebo , which did not differ . Diazepam produced minor psychomotor changes and the expected major effects on the EEG . Buspirone was without effect . Side effects on buspirone were mainly nausea and giddiness and on diazepam , drowsiness . The lack of efficacy of buspirone is discussed in terms of the previous benzodiazepine exposure--23/24 patients had had previous exposure and only 10 were able to tolerate a pretrial placebo washout period . The implication s are considerable for the introduction of any new antianxiety agent not cross-tolerant with the benzodiazepines into a chronically anxious group of patients with previous long-term benzodiazepine therapy
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 .