EDMONTON – Ground-breaking research by the University of Alberta neuroscientist keeps the promise of new treatment of anxiety disorders, Canada's most common mental health problems.
The research published in The Journal of Neuroscience, last week a previously undiscovered localizes mechanism in the brain that controls the anxiety. This mechanism affects nerve cells in the peas and medium-sized portion of the brain that assess the risk and reward, which makes these neurons more or less excitable and therefore more or less likely to send urgent messages.
"So far, no one uses (mechanism) as a medicinal product," said William Colmers Sunday. -It is hoped that we can use this new knowledge to develop new medicines.
Colmers began his research for five years ago in cooperation with Janice Urban, associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of medicine and science.
The couple knew what chemical messengers in the brain were connected to increase and reduce anxiety. But through their research, they discovered how these chemicals work--they regulate an "ion channel," part of a cell that allows nerve cells are more likely to fire, causing anxiety, or less likely to fire, prevents anxiety.
"Ion channels are usually quite good drug target," said Colmers, Professor of Pharmacology at the University's Faculty of medicine and dentistry.
That means new medicines can be created to block the brain's anxiety producing messages, "he says.
Some common anxiety treatments are now benzodiazepines such as Valium and serotonin re-uptake inhibitors such as Prozac, said Colmers. These drugs have unwanted side-effects because they do not target parts of the brain responsible for anxiety very well. Benzodiazepines, such as the use of sleeping pills and is addictive, says Colmers. So while they work to reduce anxiety, they also cause drowsiness and withdrawal.
"It helps--stop the panic disorder--but it is not very targeted."There are very specific because it works pretty much everywhere in the brain, "he says.
-There are disadvantages to existing medicines. Let's face it, no medicine, especially one that works on the brain, is perfect. But there is hope that there might be more targeted pharmaceutical compounds or treatment approaches that can help treat these disorders. "
The research also found that when researchers blocked repeatedly the urgent messages in lab rats during five days, rats became resistant to stress in months. "So there is a large and long-term change," said Colmers.
That may be important in the treatment of anxiety disorders and panic attacks and post-traumatic stress, which can be triggered by a traumatic event.
"By blocking these ion channels, it is our investment, however, that we might be able to reverse this whole process ... If someone has been, let's say, a soldier in a firefight, perhaps they could come back and get a treatment that prevents ion channel in the cells and prevents ... condition comes first."
New drugs for the treatment of anxiety, which is based on this research is still probably about 10 years away.
Mental health advocates, however, said Austin Mardon research is still great news for people who manage anxiety. "I have taken the anti-anxiety medicines and they are very comprehensive in their attacks. They make you very fuzzy-headed, "said Mardon, who has been on Prozac to treat depression in the past six years.
"I am confident that the pharmaceutical companies will invite (Colmers). We are at the beginning of a new horizon in psychiatric medications ... I think this is fantastic. "
The holiday season
Another longtime mental health advocates said the research results are particularly welcome during the holiday season when the turmoil may become more pronounced.
"We meet times where images of perfect families and relationships in abundance, and many of us are not yet a part of, so it leads, partly at least to diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders," said Dennis Anderson.
"Verily, medicinal products has been a key for many people in the trade or even recover from mental illness over the years."
Psychiatrist Pratap Chokka specializes in treating anxiety and said it is the most frequent diagnosis of mental disorders. "Probably about 20-25% of the us during our lifetime can be an anxiety disorder."
These include phobias, Post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder.
-They are very common and quite debilitating, "says Chokka, recently established Chokka Center for integrative Health in South-East of Edmonton. -The existing treatments, but effective, is far from sufficient. The reset does not often people to quality of life as a worthy. "
Most people are treated with a combination of medication and talk therapies such as consultancy, said Chokka. He advocates also other efforts to deal with stress that exercise, a nutritious diet and calming techniques such as meditation.
asands@edmontonjournal.com
c Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
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