Participants needed for generalized anxiety disorder study at UT Southwestern

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are looking for participants for a nationwide study of an investigational medication for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a type of mental illness characterized by excessive and persistent worry about everyday events and activities.

More than 4 million Americans suffer from GAD, which often manifests itself as restlessness, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, headaches, nausea, insomnia or poor concentration. People with GAD experience constant and extreme worry and tension, typically expecting the worst outcomes from routine events and activities and spending most of their time worrying.

“Generalized anxiety disorder is when people worry about the small things – daily activities that shouldn’t cause that much stress or anxiety,” said Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, professor of psychiatry, director of UT Southwestern’s mood disorders research program and holder of the Lydia Bryant Test Professorship in Psychiatric Research. “Often this worry results in associated physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, ringing in the ears, hot flashes, tremors and difficulty falling asleep, as the mind starts racing a mile a minute as soon as the person hits the bed.”

GAD treatment options include medication, psychotherapy or both, and can help people overcome their worries and function normally. UT Southwestern is one of 40 sites recruiting a total of 800 individuals for the research study, which will last 14 weeks with the possibility of a one-year extension. Participants must be ages 18 to 64 and diagnosed with or experiencing symptoms of GAD. They must be drug-free and in stable medical condition, and women cannot be pregnant or considering becoming pregnant during the study.

Qualified participants will receive study medication and related medical care at no cost. For more information, call 214-648-5249.