Psychiatric perspective

This chapter argues that real progress in the management of anxiety disorders will depend on a further understanding of etiological processes. It focuses mainly on biological and psychopharmacological aspects of anxiety research. In order to make further advances, a major effort to clarify etiology of anxiety disorders is needed. Since 2006 it has been possible to perform genome-wide association (GWA) studies, in which single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are genotyped across the whole genome of an individual and subsequently associated to a disorder. GWA studies have changed the view on how genetic factors influence complex traits, such as psychiatric disorders. The field of anxiety disorders research will gain from better translation from clinical phenotype (early signs, symptom differentiation, comorbidity, and end-stage profiles) and treatment response profiles to biomarkers derived from genetic and brain imaging research, and vice versa. A multidisciplinary approach will be the most fruitful.