Antiepileptic drugs in the treatment of anxiety disorders: Role in therapy

Pharmacological treatments for anxiety disorders have been evolving rapidly. A variety of drug groups have been shown to be effective. Benzodiazepines have long been used to treat anxiety; however, the development of tolerance to these drugs has made them less favorable treatments (1,2). Serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have emerged to become the current gold standard. Despite such widespread use, these agents are only effective in approximately 50% to 60% of patients and can be associated with significant side effects (3). There is a clinical need for alternative medication treatments for anxiety disorders, in the form of either monotherapy or as augmentation agents.