Optimization of the treatment of anxiety disorders with selank
Medvedev VE, Tereshchenko ON, Kost NV, et al. (2015). Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova.
Summary
A Russian comparison of a benzodiazepine (phenazepam) alone against the same drug with selank added, in 70 people with anxiety-phobic, hypochondriac and somatoform disorders. The authors report that the benzodiazepine's effect appeared earlier when selank was added, and that the combination reduced the benzodiazepine's side effects, including attention and memory impairment, sedation, longer sleep and emotional flatness, both during treatment and after the benzodiazepine was withdrawn. Quality-of-life scores were better in the combination group. An add-on comparison in a small group, not a placebo-controlled trial of selank by itself.