Clinical evaluation of the Daily Assessment of Symptoms-Anxiety (DAS-A): a new instrument to assess the onset of symptomatic improvement in generalized anxiety disorder.

Introduction: Rapid onset of symptomatic improvement is a desirable characteristic of new generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) treatments. A validated rating scale is needed to assess GAD symptoms during the first days of treatment.

Aims: To provide clinical data to support the validation of the Daily Assessment of Symptoms-Anxiety (DAS-A), a new instrument to assess onset of symptomatic improvement in GAD.

Long-term efficacy of pregabalin in generalized anxiety disorder.

A multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of pregabalin in preventing relapse of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) after response to short-term treatment. Outpatients (n=624) with GAD for > or =1 year received open-label pregabalin (450 mg/day) for 8 weeks and, if a clinical response was observed, were randomized to receive either pregabalin (450 mg/day; n=168) or placebo (n=170) for 24 weeks. The primary efficacy parameter was time to relapse.

Pregabalin for treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a 4-week, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pregabalin and alprazolam.

Background: Pregabalin inhibits release of excess excitatory neurotransmitters, presumably by binding to the alpha2-delta subunit protein of widely distributed voltage-dependent calcium channels in the brain and spinal cord.

Objective: To assess the anxiolytic efficacy of pregabalin in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-comparator trial.