TY - JOUR
T1 - Differential effects of alprazolam and imipramine in generalized anxiety disorder
T2 - Somatic versus psychic symptoms
AU - Hoehn-Saric, R.
AU - McLeod, D. R.
AU - Zimmerli, W. D.
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - Some researchers have recently suggested that antidepressants may be superior to benzodiazepines in the alleviation of generalized anxiety. In a 6-week, double-blind, paralle-design study with flexible dosage scheduling, the authors compared the effects of alprazolam with those of imipramine in 60 patients who had generalized anxiety disorder. On rating scales that combined both psychic and somatic symptoms, patients in both treatment groups improved to a similar degree after 2 weeks. However, alprazolam was more effective in attenuating somatic symptoms, and imipramine was more effective in attenuating psychic symptoms such as dysphoria and negative anticipatory thinking. The authors' results suggest that, in generalized anxiety, somatic symptoms and hyperarousal selectively respond to drugs acting on the gamma-aminobutyric acid system, whereas psychic symptoms respond to treatments affecting the noradrenergic or serotonergic systems.
AB - Some researchers have recently suggested that antidepressants may be superior to benzodiazepines in the alleviation of generalized anxiety. In a 6-week, double-blind, paralle-design study with flexible dosage scheduling, the authors compared the effects of alprazolam with those of imipramine in 60 patients who had generalized anxiety disorder. On rating scales that combined both psychic and somatic symptoms, patients in both treatment groups improved to a similar degree after 2 weeks. However, alprazolam was more effective in attenuating somatic symptoms, and imipramine was more effective in attenuating psychic symptoms such as dysphoria and negative anticipatory thinking. The authors' results suggest that, in generalized anxiety, somatic symptoms and hyperarousal selectively respond to drugs acting on the gamma-aminobutyric acid system, whereas psychic symptoms respond to treatments affecting the noradrenergic or serotonergic systems.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 3045099
AN - SCOPUS:0023753553
SN - 0160-6689
VL - 49
SP - 293
EP - 301
JO - Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
IS - 8
ER -