Comparative efficacy of pregabalin and benzodiazepines in treating the psychic and somatic symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of Kundalini Yoga in reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to a common treatment-as-usual condition using cognitive techniques. A secondary objective was to explore potential treatment mechanisms. Females aged 24 to 75 years with GAD (n = 49) received either an 8-week Kundalini Yoga intervention (n = 34) or an 8-week treatment-as-usual condition (n = 15). The yoga condition resulted in lower levels of anxiety relative to the treatment-as-usual condition. Furthermore, changes in somatic symptoms mediated treatment outcome for Kundalini Yoga. Kundalini Yoga may show promise as a treatment for GAD, and this treatment might convey its effect on symptom severity by reducing somatic symptoms.

Download Full-text

The association of generalized anxiety disorder and Somatic Symptoms with frequent attendance to health care services

The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine ◽

10.1177/0091217417720894 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

pp. 147-159 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tero S Kujanpää ◽

Jari Jokelainen ◽

Juha P Auvinen ◽

Markku J Timonen

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Care Utilization ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Somatic Symptoms ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Care Services ◽

Frequent Attendance

Objective Generalized anxiety disorder is associated with higher rate of physical comorbities, unexplained symptoms, and health care utilization. However, the role of somatic symptoms in determining health care utilization is unclear. The present study aims to assess the association of frequent attendance of health care services between generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and somatic symptoms. Method This study was conducted cross-sectionally using the material of the 46-year follow-up survey of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Altogether, 5585 cohort members responded to the questionnaires concerning health care utilization, illness history, physical symptoms, and generalized anxiety disorder-7 screening tool. Odds ratios belonging to the highest decile in health care utilization were calculated for generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and all (n = 4) somatic symptoms of Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 controlled for confounding factors. Results Adjusted Odds ratios for being frequent attender of health care services were 2.29 (95% CI 1.58–3.31) for generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and 1.28 (95% CI 0.99–1.64), 1.94 (95% CI 1.46–2.58), 2.33 (95% CI 1.65–3.28), and 3.64 (95% CI 2.15–6.18) for 1, 2, 3, and 4 somatic symptoms, respectively. People with generalized anxiety disorder symptoms had on average a higher number of somatic symptoms (1.8) than other cohort members (0.9). Moreover, 1.6% of people without somatic symptoms tested positive for generalized anxiety disorder, meanwhile 22.6% of people with four somatic symptoms tested positive for generalized anxiety disorder. Conclusions Both generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and somatic symptoms are associated with a higher risk for being a health care frequent attender.

Download Full-text

Correlates of worry and functional somatic symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder

Industrial Psychiatry Journal ◽

10.4103/ipj.ipj_31_19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 29

Author(s):

Sandeep Grover ◽

Vijaya Kumar ◽

Ajit Avasthi

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Somatic Symptoms ◽

Generalized Anxiety

Download Full-text

Patient with anxiety at a neurologist’s appointment

Russian Medical Inquiry ◽

10.32364/2587-6821-2020-4-9-590-594 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (9) ◽

pp. 590-594

Author(s):

L.S. Chutko ◽

◽

S.Yu. Surushkina ◽

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Anxiety Disorders ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Behavioral Therapy ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Somatic Symptoms ◽

Tension Headache ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Scientific Publications ◽

Pathological Anxiety

The article presents a review of scientific publications devoted to the study of the problem of anxiety disorders. The authors present modern views on the etiology and main pathogenesis mechanisms of normal and pathological anxiety. The article describes the most characteristic mental and somatic symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. It also highlights the symptoms that are commonly a somatic manifestation of unconscious pathological anxiety. Special attention is paid to the most frequent somatic symptom of generalized anxiety disorders — headache, the largest share in the structure of which is tension headache. Modern methods for the pharmacological treatment and drugs that optimally affect the main clinical manifestations of the disease are considered. The methods of rational and cognitive behavioral therapy used in the treatment of anxiety disorders are also described. Adding that, the article notes the features of communication between a doctor and a patient with anxiety. KEYWORDS: generalized anxiety disorder, somatic symptoms of anxiety, tension headache, dizziness, non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics, aminophenylbutyric acid. FOR CITATION: Chutko L.S., Surushkina S.Yu. Patient with anxiety at a neurologist’s appointment. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2020;4(9):590– 594. DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2020-4-9-590-594.

Download Full-text

Improvement of psychic and somatic symptoms in adult patients with generalized anxiety disorder: examination from a duloxetine, venlafaxine extended-release and placebo-controlled trial

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291708003401 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 39 (2) ◽

pp. 267-276 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

H. Nicolini ◽

D. Bakish ◽

H. Duenas ◽

M. Spann ◽

J. Erickson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Extended Release ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Factor Score ◽

Somatic Symptoms ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Once Daily

BackgroundThis study examined the efficacy and tolerability of duloxetine and venlafaxine extended-release (XR) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with a secondary focus on psychic and somatic symptoms within GAD.MethodThe design was a 10-week, multi-center, double-blind placebo-controlled study of duloxetine (20 mg or 60–120 mg once daily) and venlafaxine XR (75–225 mg once daily) treatment. Efficacy was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), which includes psychic and somatic factor scores. Tolerability was measured by occurrence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and discontinuation rates.ResultsAdult out-patients (mean age 42.8 years; 57.1% women) with DSM-IV-defined GAD were randomly assigned to placebo (n=170), duloxetine 20 mg (n=84), duloxetine 60–120 mg (n=158) or venlafaxine XR 75–225 mg (n=169) treatment. Each of the three active treatment groups had significantly greater improvements on HAMA total score from baseline to endpoint compared with placebo (p=0.01–0.001). For the HAMA psychic factor score, both duloxetine treatment arms and venlafaxine XR demonstrated significantly greater improvement compared with placebo (p=0.01–0.001). For the HAMA somatic factor score, the mean improvement in the duloxetine 60–120 mg and venlafaxine XR groups was significantly greater than placebo (p⩽0.05 and p⩽0.01 respectively), whose mean improvement did not differ from the duloxetine 20 mg group (p=0.07). Groups did not differ in study discontinuation rate due to adverse events.ConclusionsDuloxetine and venlafaxine treatment were each efficacious for improvement of core psychic anxiety symptoms and associated somatic symptoms for adults with GAD.

Download Full-text