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 .
Olanzapine Augmentation in Treatment-Resistant Panic Disorder: A 12-Week, Fixed-Dose, Open-Label Trial
The purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of low-dose olanzapine augmentation in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-resistant panic disorder ( PD ) with or without agoraphobia . In this 12-week , open-label study , 31 adult out patients with treatment-resistant PD who had previously failed to respond to SSRI treatment were treated with fixed dose of olanzapine ( 5 mg/d ) in addition to SSRI .  Efficacy was assessed using the Panic Attack and Anticipatory Anxiety Scale ( PAAAS ) , the Agoraphobic Cognitions Question naire ( ACQ ) , the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety ( HAM-A ) , the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression ( HAM-D ) , the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale ( GAF ) , and the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement ( CGI-I ) . Twenty-six patients completed the trial period with a dropout rate of 16.1 % . At week 12 , 21 patients were responders ( 81.8 % ) , and an overall improvement on all rating scales was observed in all patients both with or without agoraphobia . Fifteen patients ( 57.7 % ) achieved remission . Olanzapine was well tolerated and the most frequent adverse effects were mild-to-moderate weight gain and drowsiness . No extrapyramidal symptoms were reported . Olanzapine appears to be effective as augmentation strategy in the treatment of SSRI-resistant PD , but study limitations must be considered and placebo-controlled studies are needed
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 .