Archive 1995–2023

The GABA system plays the pivotal role in anxiety disorders. Most of antiepileptic drugs increase the GABA neurotransmission which may suggest a potential anxiolytic properties. A Medline search using key words: panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and carbamazepine, valproates gabapentine, pregabaline, tiagabine, topiramate, levetiracetam found 35 articles (randomised, control studies, open studies and case reports). Randomized, placebo controlled studies confi rmed the efficacy of pregabaline in generalized anxiety disorder and. social phobia and gabapentine in social phobia. Results of open studies need a confi rmation in randomized controlled trials to determine the place of antiepileptic drugs in pharmacotherapy of anxiety disorders.