Etizolam in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a double-blind study versus placebo

Abstract

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out in 36 patients diagnosed as suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder with associated depressive symptoms to assess the efficacy and tolerability of two unitary doses of etizolam. After a 1-week wash-out period on placebo, patients were assigned at random to receive 1 tablet twice daily of either 0.50 mg or 0.25 mg etizolam or placebo for 5 weeks. Assessments were made at entry, on Day 21 and Day 35 of the patients' condition and symptoms using a battery of four psychometric tests (the Hamilton rating scales for anxiety and for depression, the Covi scale for anxiety and the Raskin scale for depression). Ten patients were withdrawn before the end of the study, 8 because of inadequate response (4 on placebo, 3 on 0.25 mg etizolam and 1 on 0.50 mg etizolam) in spite of dosage increase to 1 tablet 3-times daily, and 2 because of side-effects (both on 0.50 mg etizolam). Analysis of the results from the remaining 26 patients showed that, at the 0.50 mg dosage level, etizolam produced significant improvement in anxiety and depressive symptoms, particularly somatic manifestations, and was significantly more effective than placebo or the 0.25 dosage regimen. Etizolam was generally well tolerated and the few side-effects reported, mainly daytime drowsiness, were of mild to moderate severity.

Pooled analysis of venlafaxine XR efficacy on somatic and psychic symptoms of anxiety in patients with generalized anxiety disorder

“…One study reported that somatic symptoms were more responsive to diazepam treatment than psychic symptoms, whereas the latter responded more to imipramine [Rickels et al, 1993]. The preferential action of diazepam on the somatic symptoms compared with that on psychic symptoms of anxiety was also shown by a number of studies [Fontaine et al, 1983;Pecknold et al, 1989;Pourmotabbed et al, 1996;Rickels et al, 1982Rickels et al, , 1983, although not all benzodiazepines have been shown to possess this selectivity [Casacchia et al, 1990;Feighner et al, 1983]. In comparison, buspirone is believed to act primarily on symptoms associated with cognitive and interpersonal problems [Rickels et al, 1982], although reports of its specificity are contradictory [Feighner and Cohn, 1989;Pecknold et al, 1989].…”

Etizolam: A rapid review on pharmacology, non‐medical use and harms

“…Small early clinical trials suggest that etizolam has equivalent anxiolytic effects to alprazolam and bromazepam, with increasing anxiolytic effects seen over the 4 weeks of treatment . Several small trials also suggest improvement in depressive symptoms in addition to anxiety symptoms .…”

The emergence of new psychoactive substance (NPS) benzodiazepines: A review

“…etizolam) (Figure F). They differ in structure by the replacement of a benzene ring with a thiophene ring but they have similar anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and sedative properties . Thienotriazolodiazepines (Figure G) (e.g.…”

“…They differ in structure by the replacement of a benzene ring with a thiophene ring but they have similar anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and sedative properties. [52][53][54] Thienotriazolodiazepines ( Figure 2G) (e.g. brotizolam 54 ) have a triazole ring fused to the diazepine ring, much like the triazolobenzodiazepines.…”