“Anti-phobia” pill – early results
A pilot study on people terrified of heights showed that that an existing prescription pill helped to “dramatically reduce” their fear, reports Chemistry & Industry Magazine. In principle, the drug could be used to treat fear of spiders, needles, flying or any other kind of phobia, as well as post-traumatic stress and obsessive compulsive disorder. It might also be used to help people cope with their fears when they learn to to ski, skydive or any other activity which makes us scared.
The Chemistry & Industry report looks at the work of Michael Davis at Emory University School of Medicine in the US. He reveals that acrophobics given the drug D-cycloserine, currently used to treat TB, showed a dramatic reduction in fear after just two psychotherapy sessions compared with the usual eight. Davis says a study of people with a fear of public speaking is about to start.
According to Davis, the drug should work in almost any situation where a person is nervous. “It should help you get over whatever it is you are afraid of, as long as you face up to your fear,” claims Dr Davis.
The drug does not work on its own, but improves the effects of therapy because it speeds up the process of learning and forming memories.
Michael Otto, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is so impressed with Davis’ results that his team plan to start a study of their own on panic attacks.
A full copy of the article is available from the SCI Press Office: Email: press@soci.org. Tel 020 7 598 1571 or 1573
Media Contact
All latest news from the category: Studies and Analyses
innovations-report maintains a wealth of in-depth studies and analyses from a variety of subject areas including business and finance, medicine and pharmacology, ecology and the environment, energy, communications and media, transportation, work, family and leisure.
Newest articles
First-of-its-kind study uses remote sensing to monitor plastic debris in rivers and lakes
Remote sensing creates a cost-effective solution to monitoring plastic pollution. A first-of-its-kind study from researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities shows how remote sensing can help monitor and…
Laser-based artificial neuron mimics nerve cell functions at lightning speed
With a processing speed a billion times faster than nature, chip-based laser neuron could help advance AI tasks such as pattern recognition and sequence prediction. Researchers have developed a laser-based…
Optimising the processing of plastic waste
Just one look in the yellow bin reveals a colourful jumble of different types of plastic. However, the purer and more uniform plastic waste is, the easier it is to…