Abstract
Anxiety disorders are common and disabling conditions. Current drug treatment methods have limitations including resistance, delayed efficacy and side effects. The advent of sophisticated imaging techniques and the production of highly selective receptor ligands have increased our knowledge of the biological mechanisms underpinning anxiety. Our aim is to review recent discoveries in important neurological systems to provide an understanding of important current anxiolytic targets. Some of these systems, such as GABA, have been implicated in anxiety disorders for decades, but a recent greater understanding is enabling more sophisticated targeting of treatments. In other systems, including the neuropeptides, we have now developed the pharmacological tools in human subjects to begin exploring their relationship to anxiety disorders. We review GABA, serotonin, glutamate, noradrenaline, dopamine and some neuropeptides herein.
Keywords: Anxiety disorders, side effects, receptor ligands, Anxiolytic Drugs, neurological systems, neuropeptides, serotonin, glutamate, noradrenaline, dopamine
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: Potential Novel Anxiolytic Drugs
Volume: 14 Issue: 33
Author(s): D. Christmas, S. Hood and D. Nutt
Affiliation:
Keywords: Anxiety disorders, side effects, receptor ligands, Anxiolytic Drugs, neurological systems, neuropeptides, serotonin, glutamate, noradrenaline, dopamine
Abstract: Anxiety disorders are common and disabling conditions. Current drug treatment methods have limitations including resistance, delayed efficacy and side effects. The advent of sophisticated imaging techniques and the production of highly selective receptor ligands have increased our knowledge of the biological mechanisms underpinning anxiety. Our aim is to review recent discoveries in important neurological systems to provide an understanding of important current anxiolytic targets. Some of these systems, such as GABA, have been implicated in anxiety disorders for decades, but a recent greater understanding is enabling more sophisticated targeting of treatments. In other systems, including the neuropeptides, we have now developed the pharmacological tools in human subjects to begin exploring their relationship to anxiety disorders. We review GABA, serotonin, glutamate, noradrenaline, dopamine and some neuropeptides herein.
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Cite this article as:
Christmas D., Hood S. and Nutt D., Potential Novel Anxiolytic Drugs, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2008; 14 (33) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161208786848775
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161208786848775 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
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