The brain decade in debate: II. Panic or anxiety? From animal models to a neurobiological basis

This article is a transcription of an electronic symposium sponsored by the Brazilian Society of Neuroscience and Behavior (SBNeC). Invited researchers from the European Union, North America and Brazil discussed two issues on anxiety, namely whether panic is a very intense anxiety or something else, and what aspects of clinical anxiety are reproduced by animal models. Concerning the first issue, most participants agreed that generalized anxiety and panic disorder are different on the basis of clinical manifestations, drug response and animal models. Also, underlying brain structures, neurotransmitter modulation and hormonal changes seem to involve important differences. It is also common knowledge that existing animal models generate different types of fear/anxiety. A challenge for future research is to establish a good correlation between animal models and nosological classification

Design, Sythesis and Pharmacological Studies of Benzothiazolin-2-one Analogues as a Novel Anxiolytic and Antipanic - like Agents

A series of derivatives of ketanserin, a prototype 5-HT[2A] antagonist, were synthesized and evaluated for their binding profiles. Compound 6 was the most active of all tested compounds, as it displayed 5-HT[1A], 5-HT[2A],,and D[2], binding affinities at nanogram levels. It was found to exhibit anxiolytic and antipanic-like effects in mice, in doses of 0.25 mg and 0.125 mg/kg body weight, orally and intraperitoneally, respectively. These activities were obtained without significant sedative, myo-relaxant side effects, or catalepsy. Compound 6 is currently undergoing further pharmacological and toxicological investigations

Tratamiento de pacientes con trastorno de pánico y elevada excreción urinaria de MHPG con Imipramina o Clonazepam / Imipramine and clonazepam treatment of patients with panic disorder and a high urinary excretion of MHPG

La respuesta al tratamiento con imipramina o clonazepam fue evaluada en pacientes con trastornos de pánico. Estos pacientes presentaban elevada excreción urinaria en 24 horas del principal metabolito de la noradrenalina, el 3-metoxi-4-hidroxi-fenilglicol, y niveles plasmáticos normales de lactato. Ambas drogas fueron eficientes como agentes antipánico, pero el clonazepam dió mejores resultados que la imipramina mediante la evaluación con las Escalas de Hamilton de Ansiedad y de Depresión. además, el clonazepam redujo la ansiedad anticipatoria