Buspirone: future directions

The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of buspirone for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in 1986. Since then, numerous studies have examined the efficacy and safety of buspirone for patients with not only generalized feelings of anxiety, but also panic disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, social phobia, posttraumatic stress disorder, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced adverse events, dementia, behavioral disturbances, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and tobacco dependency. Although relatively few placebo-controlled trials have been conducted on patients with problems other than GAD, an ever-growing body of research suggests future directions for the use of buspirone. This article reviews the body of research relating to new uses for buspirone.