New pharmacological treatment approaches for anxiety disorders

Abstract

New developments in the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders will have distinct backgrounds: characterization of pathophysiological processes including evolving techniques of genomics and proteomics will generate new drug targets. Drug development design will generate new pharmacological substances with specific action at specific neurotransmitter and neuropeptide receptors or affecting their reuptake and metabolism. New anxiolytic drugs may target receptor systems that only recently have been linked to anxiety-related behavior. This includes the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), S-α-amino-3- hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), and the cannabinoid receptors. In addition, signal transduction pathways, neurotrophic factors, and gases such as nitric oxide or carbon monoxide may be new drug targets. Combining psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutical interventions is a further field where benefits for the treatment of anxiety disorders could be achieved. Although the road of drug development is arduous, improvements in the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders are expected for the near future. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.