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 .
Assessment of the efficacy of buspirone in patients affected by generalized anxiety disorder, shifting to buspirone from prior treatment with lorazepam: a placebo-controlled, double-blind study.
Forty-four patients with DSM-III-R generalized anxiety disorder participated in this double-blind , r and omized study . Patients were on a benzodiazepine before the study and were stabilized on 3 to 5 mg/day lorazepam for 5 weeks ( weeks 0 to 5 ) . Thereafter , they were r and omized to 15 mg/day buspirone or placebo for the following 6 weeks ( weeks 6 to 11 ) . During the first 2 weeks of double-blind , r and omized treatment ( weeks 6 to 7 ) , lorazepam was tapered off . During weeks 12 to 13 , patients received single-blind placebo . Assessment included the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety , the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory , the Zung and Eddy Self-Rating Scale of Anxiety Symptoms , the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression , and the Rome Depression Inventory , completed at weeks 0 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 , and 13 . Side effects were assessed through the Dosage Treatment Emergent Symptoms at the same times . The  benzodiazepine-withdrawal syndrome was evaluated through a 27-symptom checklist ( Clinical -Rated Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptom Schedule ) at weeks 0 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 11 , and 13 . The results showed that buspirone was more effective than placebo and comparable to lorazepam . Buspirone-treated patients showed no rebound anxiety or benzodiazepine-withdrawal syndrome compared with placebo . Buspirone caused fewer side effects than lorazepam and was not different from placebo in this respect . Finally , buspirone maintained its anxiolytic effect for at least 2 weeks after the discontinuation of treatment
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 .