Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Generalized Anxiety Disorder01:30

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for at least six months, significantly interfering with daily functioning. Unlike situational anxiety, which arises in response to specific stressors, GAD often occurs without a clear cause. Individuals may experience disproportionate worry about work, health, or relationships. For instance, a person might continuously fear poor health despite normal medical evaluations or...
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone01:29

Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone

Benzodiazepines are a class of anxiolytic drugs known for their rapid efficacy and high therapeutic-to-lethal dose ratio, but with a potential risk of drug dependence. These drugs are lipophilic, allowing for rapid absorption after oral administration, eventually reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Once in the CNS, benzodiazepines bind to the allosteric site of the GABAA receptor. This binding enhances the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. By doing so, they prevent...
Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview01:26

Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
Anxiety: Overview01:18

Anxiety: Overview

Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines01:19

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines have both sedative and hypnotic properties. They include compounds such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax). Structurally, their cores are similar, consisting of the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring, but they share a common mechanism of action in the central nervous system (CNS).
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Decision-Support System for Personalized Antidepressant Treatment in Major Depressive Disorder-Reply.

JAMA·2026
Same author

Acceptability and accuracy of point-of-care monitoring of lithium levels.

The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science·2026
Same author

Psychotherapy, Antidepressants, and Combined Treatment for Depression: A Network Meta-analysis on Social Functioning Outcomes.

Psychotherapy and psychosomatics·2026
Same author

Tool for Converting ADHD Rating Scales Scores Based on Individual Participant Data from 53 Randomized Controlled Trials of ADHD Medications.

Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology·2026
Same author

The GALENOS approach to triangulating evidence: a structured approach for integrating information from human and animal studies.

BMC medical research methodology·2026
Same author

Pharmacological interventions for ADHD: a systematic review and dose-effect network meta-analysis.

The lancet. Psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Interventions to prevent or cease electronic cigarette use in children and adolescents.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Drugs to improve anaemia, quality of life, and physical function in people with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Interventions for smoking cessation in inpatient psychiatry settings.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Mechanical thromboprophylaxis for preventing intradialytic hypotension in people undergoing maintenance haemodialysis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Prognostic models for predicting intensive care unit admission or mortality in critically ill adults not yet been admitted to the intensive care unit.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
Same journal

Views and experiences of weight management for people living with mobility‑limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities or severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis.

The Cochrane database of systematic reviews·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements
05:42

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements

Published on: January 7, 2019

Hydroxyzine for generalised anxiety disorder.

Giuseppe Guaiana1, Corrado Barbui, Andrea Cipriani

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, Regional Mental Health Care-Saint Thomas, 467 Sunset Drive, St Thomas, Ontario, Canada, N6P 3V9.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|December 15, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Hydroxyzine shows some effectiveness against generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to placebo. However, due to study limitations, it cannot be recommended as a reliable first-line treatment.

More Related Videos

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats
05:05

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

Published on: June 17, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements
05:42

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements

Published on: January 7, 2019

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats
05:05

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

Published on: June 17, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent chronic psychiatric condition often managed in primary care.
  • Treatment options include non-pharmacological therapies and medications like antidepressants, buspirone, and benzodiazepines.
  • Hydroxyzine, an antihistamine, has been utilized for anxiety symptom management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess hydroxyzine's efficacy versus placebo or active agents for acute GAD symptom relief.
  • To review the acceptability of hydroxyzine treatment compared to placebo or other agents.
  • To investigate the adverse effects profile of hydroxyzine against active comparators.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic search of Cochrane, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases up to March 2010.
  • Inclusion of randomized controlled trials comparing hydroxyzine to placebo or anxiolytic agents in GAD patients.
  • Independent data extraction by two authors focusing on efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability.

Main Results:

  • Five studies with 884 participants were included, indicating hydroxyzine is more effective than placebo for GAD.
  • Hydroxyzine demonstrated comparable efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability to benzodiazepines and buspirone.
  • A higher incidence of sleepiness/drowsiness was noted with hydroxyzine compared to active treatments, with a high risk of bias across studies.

Conclusions:

  • Despite showing greater efficacy than placebo, the high risk of bias and small sample sizes limit conclusions.
  • Hydroxyzine's reliability as a first-line GAD treatment cannot be confirmed based on current evidence.
  • Further high-quality research is needed to establish hydroxyzine's role in GAD management.