Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:700-702
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
Effects of the cholecystokinin agonist pentagastrin in patients with generalized anxiety disorder
O Brawman-Mintzer, RB Lydiard, J Bradwejn, G Villarreal, R Knapp, N Emmanuel, MR Ware, Q He and JC Ballenger
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-0742, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The anxiogenic and panicogenic effects of peripheral
administration of the cholecystokinin-B receptor agonist pentagastrin and
placebo were evaluated in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and
normal comparison subjects. METHODS: Seven patients with generalized
anxiety disorder and seven age- and sex-matched normal subjects received an
intravenous bolus of placebo and pentagastrin. RESULTS: Panic attacks
occurred in five patients with generalized anxiety disorder (71%) and in
one normal subject (14%). Patients with generalized anxiety disorder were
more likely to report more nonpanic anxiety than were normal subjects.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with generalized anxiety disorder appear to exhibit
greater subjective sensitivity to pentagastrin than do normal subjects.
