The prospect of new anxiolytic principles

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-83
Author(s):  
E.J.L. Griez
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Models Of Disease ◽  
Pathological Anxiety

Novel anxiolytics notwithstanding, in the latest fifteen years there have been no major innovations in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Fascinating research is going on, but real breakthroughs will require adequate models of disease, based on the disordered physiology of each type of pathological anxiety. In this brief overview, we will address both the field of potential anxiolytics in 1997, and the development of new experimental models of anxiety disorders.

scholarly journals Experimental animal models for the simulation of depression and anxiety

2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-333 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Human Situation ◽  
Clinical Syndromes ◽  
Behavioral Parameters ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Psychiatric Problems ◽  
Pathological Anxiety

An impressive number of animal models to assess depression and anxiety are available today. However, the relationship between these models and the clinical syndromes of depression and anxiety is not always clear. Since human anxiety disorders represent a multifactorial phenomenon frequently comorbid with major depression and/or other psychiatric problems, the chance of creating animal models which consistently reflect the human situation is quite poor. When using experimental models to understand homologies between animal and human behavior, we have to consider the context in which an animal is investigated, and both the functional significance and relevance of the behavioral parameters that are quantified. Moreover, gender and interindividual and interspecies variabilities in behavioral responses to the test situation and in the sensitivity to pharmacological treatments are potential sources for confounding results. In the past, these aspects have been often neglected in preclinical approaches to behavioral pharmacology and psychopharmacology. A pragmatic approach of combined preclinical and clinical efforts is necessary to imitate one or more aspects relevant to pathological anxiety disorders and depression. The resulting models may identify central nervous processes regulating defined behavioral output, with the potential to develop more effective treatments.

scholarly journals What happens to anxiety disorders in later life?

2002 ◽  
Vol 24 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 74-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard JA Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Older People ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Pharmacological Interventions ◽  
Measuring Change ◽  
Pathological Anxiety

Anxiety disorders decline in prevalence with advancing age but remain more common than depressive disorders. They are often of late-onset and there is frequent comorbidity with depressive disorders and physical illness. While anxiety disorders in older people are likely to respond to the same non-pharmacological interventions that have been shown to work in younger people, there is currently little formal evidence of this. Although there is some evidence that the non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic medication, buspirone, is effective against late life anxiety symptoms, clinical trials in older people with rigorously diagnosed anxiety disorders are needed. An anxiety scale with demonstrated reliability and validity in older people is needed for screening for pathological anxiety and for measuring change in older patients undergoing treatment for anxiety disorders.

Anxiety Disorders: Introduction

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladan Starcevic, MD, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
American Psychiatric Association ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
Broad Agreement ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Adaptive Role ◽  
Pathological Anxiety

Anxiety disorders can be defined as conditions characterized by pathological anxiety that has not been caused by physical illness, is not associated with substance use, and is not part of a psychotic illness. Therefore, the concept of anxiety disorders is largely based on exclusion of several causes of pathological anxiety–hardly a scientifically defensible position. Since pathological anxiety has been postulated as the sine qua non of anxiety disorders, it is important to first make a distinction between pathological and ‘‘normal’’ anxiety. For the sake of clarifying this matter, the terms anxiety and fear are used here interchangeably (as they both denote a response to a perceived threat), although there is also a prominent view that conceptual differences do exist between them (see also Table 2—21 and Barlow’s account of panic attacks in Chapter 2 for further discussion of this issue). There is broad agreement that pathological and normal anxiety can be distinguished on the basis of the criteria listed in Table 1—1. These criteria cut across all the components of anxiety: subjective, physiological (somatic), cognitive, and behavioral. Although the criteria may seem clear-cut, in practice it may be difficult to draw a precise boundary between pathological and normal anxiety. It is often assumed that normal anxiety has an adaptive role, because it serves as a signal that there is some danger and that measures need to be taken (e.g., a fight or flight response) to protect oneself against that danger; both the danger perceived and the measures taken are considered appropriate (i.e., not exaggerated) in normal anxiety. For example, a student who is anxious about failing the exam correctly judges herself to be well below the sufficient level of knowledge and doubles the effort to catch up with her studies and minimize the risk of failing. In contrast, pathological anxiety pertains to an inaccurate or excessive appraisal of danger; protective measures taken against this danger are way out of proportion to the real threat. Anxiety disorders were introduced in 1980 as a distinct nosological group in the Third Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association, 1980).

Epidemiology of anxiety disorders

2020 ◽  
pp. 917-927
Author(s):  
Hans-Ulrich Wittchen ◽  
Katja Beesdo-Baum
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Separation Anxiety ◽  
Separation Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Targeted Prevention ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Pathological Anxiety

This chapter describes the prevalence, onset, course, persistence, comorbidity, and outcome, as well as correlates and risk factors of anxiety disorders, namely separation anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The focus is laid upon the early years of life (childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood), given that most anxiety disorders have their onset at this time, typically persisting over the life course, and thus representing powerful risk factors for the onset of subsequent mental disorders such as depression and substance use disorders. Despite progress, continued research efforts are needed towards identifying which vulnerability and risk factors play a causal role for the onset and persistence of pathological anxiety. An improved understanding of the complex underlying biological and psychological mechanisms and interactions is crucial to facilitate more effective targeted prevention research and treatment.

Animal Models and Assays Probing Anxiety Related Behaviors and Neural Circuits

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramon Tasan ◽  
Nicolas Singewald
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Selective Breeding ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Novel Treatment ◽  
Conditioned Learning ◽  
Approach Avoidance ◽  
Pathological Anxiety

Anxiety tests and models in rodents are useful tools to reveal neurochemical, cellular, and molecular underpinnings of normal and pathological anxiety-related behaviors, as well as novel treatment targets. While anxiety models are generated by various approaches such as selective breeding, anxiety tests most commonly involve unconditioned approach avoidance tasks and conditioned learning paradigms, both characterized by inherent advantages and limitations, in particular their predictive value for specific anxiety disorders. To further improve the validity and translatability of preclinical anxiety testing, it is promising that some anxiety-relevant endophenotypes have now been investigated using similar tests in rodents and humans and that the involved neural pathways and mechanisms overlap considerably in both species.

scholarly journals Verfahrensintegrierende Verhaltenstherapie bei Angsterkrankungen -Lernen und Verlernen von pathologischer Angst als ganzheitlicher Prozess

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-230
Author(s):  
Dietmar Hansch
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Human Learning ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Gestalt Theory ◽  
Treatment Methods ◽  
Pathological Anxiety ◽  
Established Treatment

Abstract Nicht zu Unrecht gilt die Behandlung von Angsterkrankungen als die Paradedisziplin der Verhaltenstherapie (VT). Hier wie auch generell zeigt sich die VT dabei aber als zersplittert in eine Vielzahl von Einzelmethoden: Verschiedene Lernformen – Einsichtslernen, Konditionierungslernen und Habituationslernen - werden in ihrem Beitrag zu Angsterkrankungen isoliert voneinander konzipiert. Entsprechend stehen auch auf diesen Lernformen basierende Therapiemethoden für sich. Dadurch werden wichtige Synergiepotenziale verschenkt. Menschliches Lernen, auch und gerade das Lernen und Verlernen von pathologischer Angst, ist aber immer ein ganzheitlicher Prozess. Der Artikel skizziert eine ganzheitliche Psycho-Logik der Eskalation und Chronifizierung pathologischer Angst unter integrierendem Einbezug der o.g. Lernformen. Hieraus leitet sich eine verfahrensintegrierende VT ab, die die etablierten Behandlungsmethoden so kombiniert, dass Synergiegewinne entstehen, was an einem Fallbeispiel verdeutlicht wird. Den theoretischen Hintergrund bildet die Theorie der Selbstorganisation komplexer Systeme, insbesondere die Synergetik – ein Feld, in dem wichtige Aspekte der Gestalttheorie aufgehoben sind. It is not without reason that the treatment of anxiety disorders is considered the showpiece of behavioral therapy (BT). Here as well as in general, however, the BT shows itself fragmented into a multitude of individual methods: Different forms of learning - insight learning, conditioning learning and habituation learning - are designed in isolation from each other in their contribution to anxiety disorders. Correspondingly, treatment methods based on these forms of learning stand for themselves. This gives away important synergy potential. Human learning, also and especially learning and unlearning of pathological anxiety, is always a holistic process. The paper outlines a holistic psycho-logic of the escalation and chronification of pathological anxiety, integrating the above mentioned forms of learning. This leads to the derivation of a method-integrating BT, which combines the established treatment methods in such a way that synergy gains are achieved, as illustrated by a case study. The theoretical background is formed by the theory of the self-organization of complex systems, in particular synergetics - a field in which important aspects of gestalt theory are implied.

scholarly journals Dissecting the Molecular Features of Systemic Light Chain (AL) Amyloidosis: Contributions from Proteomics

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 916
Author(s):  
Paola Rognoni ◽  
Giulia Mazzini ◽  
Serena Caminito ◽  
Giovanni Palladini ◽  
Francesca Lavatelli
Keyword(s):  
Light Chain ◽  
Amyloid Fibrils ◽  
Cell Clone ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Al Amyloidosis ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Molecular Features ◽  
Amyloid Light Chain ◽  
Models Of Disease

Amyloidoses are characterized by aggregation of proteins into highly ordered amyloid fibrils, which deposit in the extracellular space of tissues, leading to organ dysfunction. In AL (amyloid light chain) amyloidosis, the most common form in Western countries, the amyloidogenic precursor is a misfolding-prone immunoglobulin light chain (LC), which, in the systemic form, is produced in excess by a plasma cell clone and transported to target organs though blood. Due to the primary role that proteins play in the pathogenesis of amyloidoses, mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomic studies have gained an established position in the clinical management and research of these diseases. In AL amyloidosis, in particular, proteomics has provided important contributions for characterizing the precursor light chain, the composition of the amyloid deposits and the mechanisms of proteotoxicity in target organ cells and experimental models of disease. This review will provide an overview of the major achievements of proteomic studies in AL amyloidosis, with a presentation of the most recent acquisitions and a critical discussion of open issues and ongoing trends.

scholarly journals Integration of geoscience frameworks into digital pathology analysis permits quantification of microarchitectural relationships in histological landscapes

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Kendall ◽  
Catherine M. Duff ◽  
Andrew M. Thomson ◽  
John P. Iredale
Keyword(s):  
Disease Model ◽  
Digital Pathology ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Neoplastic Disease ◽  
Multiple Organs ◽  
Trial Protocols ◽  
Histological Data ◽  
Histological Images ◽  
New Feature ◽  
Models Of Disease

Abstract Although gold-standard histological assessment is subjective it remains central to diagnosis and clinical trial protocols and is crucial for the evaluation of any preclinical disease model. Objectivity and reproducibility are enhanced by quantitative analysis of histological images but current methods require application-specific algorithm training and fail to extract understanding from the histological context of observable features. We reinterpret histopathological images as disease landscapes to describe a generalisable framework defining topographic relationships in tissue using geoscience approaches. The framework requires no user-dependent training to operate on all image datasets in a classifier-agnostic manner but is adaptable and scalable, able to quantify occult abnormalities, derive mechanistic insights, and define a new feature class for machine-learning diagnostic classification. We demonstrate application to inflammatory, fibrotic and neoplastic disease in multiple organs, including the detection and quantification of occult lobular enlargement in the liver secondary to hilar obstruction. We anticipate this approach will provide a robust class of histological data for trial stratification or endpoints, provide quantitative endorsement of experimental models of disease, and could be incorporated within advanced approaches to clinical diagnostic pathology.

scholarly journals Improving Cancer Drug Discovery by Studying Cancer across the Tree of Life

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason A Somarelli ◽  
Amy M Boddy ◽  
Heather L Gardner ◽  
Suzanne Bartholf DeWitt ◽  
Joanne Tuohy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Comparative Oncology ◽  
Protective Mechanisms ◽  
Cancer Drug Discovery ◽  
Models Of Disease ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Despite a considerable expenditure of time and resources and significant advances in experimental models of disease, cancer research continues to suffer from extremely low success rates in translating preclinical discoveries into clinical practice. The continued failure of cancer drug development, particularly late in the course of human testing, not only impacts patient outcomes, but also drives up the cost for those therapies that do succeed. It is clear that a paradigm shift is necessary if improvements in this process are to occur. One promising direction for increasing translational success is comparative oncology—the study of cancer across species, often involving veterinary patients that develop naturally-occurring cancers. Comparative oncology leverages the power of cross-species analyses to understand the fundamental drivers of cancer protective mechanisms, as well as factors contributing to cancer initiation and progression. Clinical trials in veterinary patients with cancer provide an opportunity to evaluate novel therapeutics in a setting that recapitulates many of the key features of human cancers, including genomic aberrations that underly tumor development, response and resistance to treatment, and the presence of comorbidities that can affect outcomes. With a concerted effort from basic scientists, human physicians and veterinarians, comparative oncology has the potential to enhance the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of pipelines for cancer drug discovery and other cancer treatments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document