Anxiety Disorder News and Research

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Mouse genes guide search for human anxiety disorder genes

We are all familiar with the question - "Are you a man or a mouse?" What if the answer is "a little of both"? Because of the power of molecular genetics research in animals and the maturation of animal models, the path to identifying genes involved in particular types of behavior, such as fear, is much clearer in animals than in humans.

23 Oct 2008

Obsessive compulsive disorder evident as early as age four

Researchers in the U.S. say children as young as four can develop full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

1 Oct 2008

Discovery of genes that may predispose to anxiety disorders

Finnish scientists have identified genes that may predispose to anxiety disorders. Research conducted under the supervision of Academy Research Fellow Iiris Hovatta have focused on genes that influence human behaviour, and some of the studied genes show a statistical association with specific anxiety disorders. The work is carried out as part of the Academy of Finland Research Programme on Neuroscience (NEURO).

27 Aug 2008

Cymbalta approved in Europe for generalised anxiety disorder

Eli Lilly and Co and Boehringer Ingelheim have announced that the European Commission has approved the use of Cymbalta (duloxetine) for the treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

24 Aug 2008

Researchers identify brain cells related to fear - paves way for more effective PTSD treatments

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that in any given year, about 40 million adults (18 or older) will suffer from some form of anxiety disorder, including debilitating conditions such as phobias, panic disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is estimated that nearly 15 percent of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan develop PTSD, underscoring the urgency to develop better treatment strategies for anxiety disorders.

10 Jul 2008

Cymbalta approved for fibromyalgia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) for the management of fibromyalgia, a chronic widespread pain disorder, Eli Lilly and Company announced.

16 Jun 2008

Drug used to treat alcohol dependence also works for pathological gamblers

Scientists in the U.S. have found that a drug commonly prescribed for the treatment of alcoholism and drug dependence, also works for pathological gamblers.

8 Jun 2008

Researchers find link between altered dopamine activity and social anxiety disorder

Using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), researchers in The Netherlands were able to detect biochemical differences in the brains of individuals with generalized social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia), providing evidence of a long-suspected biological cause for the dysfunction.

12 May 2008

NIH study reveals incidence, precursors and psychiatric sequelae of major psychiatric disorders

A new study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) presents results on the first onset of substance use disorders (i.e., alcohol and drug abuse and dependence) and major mood and anxiety disorders, based on Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC).

22 Apr 2008

Coagulation in patients with anxiety disorders

"The blood froze in my veins" or "My blood curdled" - these common figures of speech can be taken literally, according to the latest studies.

26 Mar 2008

Genetic variations increase risk of anxiety disorders

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers - in collaboration with scientists at the University of California at San Diego and Yale University - have discovered perhaps the strongest evidence yet linking variation in a particular gene with anxiety-related traits.

4 Mar 2008

Why certain people cannot express emotions

A report in the 2008 Jan issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by a group of Dutch investigators explores the relationship between alexithymia (the inability to express emotions) and the tolerance of negative emotions.

22 Jan 2008

Matters of the mind can affect matters of the heart

A new study by McGill University and Université de Montréal researchers has found that major anxiety and/or depression, can double a coronary artery disease patient's chances of repeated heart ailments.

21 Jan 2008

Religion habit cuts anxiety in women

For many, religious activity changes between childhood and adulthood, and a new study finds this could affect one's mental health.

2 Jan 2008

FDA approves Cymbalta for maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cymbalta (duloxetine HCl) for the maintenance treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults.

2 Dec 2007

Link between asthma and depressive disorders found

Young people with asthma are about twice as likely to suffer from depressive and anxiety disorders than are children without asthma, according to a study by a research team in Seattle.

6 Nov 2007

Little evidence to support therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe and ongoing emotional reaction to an extreme psychological trauma; it affects significant numbers of people, in particular military personnel and veterans, who have seen active duty in war zones.

22 Oct 2007

Mental disorders are disorders of the brain

Depression, anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorders, alcohol and drug dependence, dementia and Parkinson's disease are just a few examples of "disorders of the brain".

17 Oct 2007

What's wrong with being shy?

What's wrong with being shy, and just when and how did bashfulness and other ordinary human behaviors in children and adults become psychiatric disorders treatable with powerful, potentially dangerous drugs?, asks a Northwestern University scholar in a new book that already is creating waves in the mental health community

12 Oct 2007

Panic attacks may increase risk of heart attack or stroke in older women

Older women who experience at least one full-blown panic attack may have an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke and an increased risk of death in the next five years, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 Oct 2007