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Published on: October 20, 2023
Buspirone for the treatment of anxiety-related symptoms in Angelman syndrome: a case series
Kayla Balaj1, Lisa Nowinski2,3, Brianna Walsh2
1Department of Psychiatry, Central Michigan University Health, Saginaw, Michigan.
Objectives:
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder associated with impaired expression of the ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A gene on chromosome 15. AS results in intellectual disability with limited expressive language, epilepsy, ataxia, sleep impairment, and problematic behavior which may include anxiety. Buspirone is a serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor partial agonist used in the treatment of anxiety disorders and may, therefore, have a treatment role for patients with AS.
Methods:
We describe three patients who were given open-label buspirone for the treatment of behaviors thought to be related to anxiety.
Results:
We found significant improvement in symptoms of anxiety with buspirone. Patients tolerated long-term usage of the medication.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study suggest that buspirone may be effective for the amelioration of behaviors related to anxiety in patients with AS, and well tolerated. Limitations include the open-label nature of these treatments, the small sample size and the absence of a control group.
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