Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Azapirones Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Although the buspirone spectrum is not as broad as the BDZs, buspirone has been shown to be effective in numerous patients suffering from current GAD. The first results of drug action usually appear in the range of two to four weeks. Buspirone may be seen as an effective anxiolytic in treatment of GAD.
According to some authors, buspirone may yield a slight antidepressant activity, making it probably an very valuable option in those cases of GAD with depressive features or high levels of ‘‘psychic symptoms’’, i.e. worry and ruminations. There is, for instance, evidence that buspirone is effective in the treatment of psychic symptoms of anxiety with obsessive ideas.
Buspirone should be taken into account when problems related to drug abuse and drug discontinuation have been identified, and where the importance of avoiding withdrawal symptoms is considered to be high.
Gammans et al. analysed the pooled data from eight randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies and indicated that buspirone offers effective treatment for patients with GAD, irrespective of the presence or absence of coexisting depressive symptoms.
When depressive symptomsare present, buspirone is effective regardless of the intensity of those symptoms. The available evidence is that certain factors may predict a more favourable response to one class of drugs over another. The presence of prominent somatic symptoms will predict a better response to benzodiazepines. Prominent psychic symptoms seem to predict a more favourable response to buspirone.