Anxiety disorders affect roughly 30% of adults at some point in life. Current treatment relies on SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Many people respond well, but side effects, delayed onset of benefit, and incomplete symptom control leave room for new approaches.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing fast-acting drugs that target GABA and glutamate systems, psychedelics combined with therapy, digital therapeutics that deliver CBT through apps, and medications that work on inflammation or the stress hormone system. Researchers are also studying biomarkers to predict which treatments will work for which patients.
Rapid-onset treatments
Drugs that act on NMDA receptors or neurosteroids may reduce anxiety within hours instead of weeks. Some are being tested as nasal sprays or single-dose treatments for acute episodes.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Psilocybin and MDMA are being studied in combination with structured therapy sessions. Early results suggest lasting reductions in anxiety, particularly in cancer patients and those with PTSD-related anxiety.
Digital therapeutics
Apps delivering guided CBT, exposure therapy, and mindfulness training are being tested as standalone treatments or add-ons to medication. Some studies show results comparable to in-person therapy.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on anxiety severity, specific diagnosis (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder), and whether you've tried standard treatments.
What types of trials are currently open
- Medication trials — Testing new drugs or repurposed medications, often comparing them to SSRIs or placebo to see if they reduce anxiety symptoms faster or more completely.
- Psychedelic trials — Studying psilocybin, MDMA, or similar drugs combined with therapy sessions, usually in controlled clinical settings with trained facilitators.
- Digital intervention trials — Testing apps or online programs that deliver CBT, exposure therapy, or other evidence-based techniques, often accessed from home.
- Neuromodulation trials — Using transcranial magnetic stimulation or vagus nerve stimulation to change brain activity patterns associated with anxiety.
- Biomarker studies — Collecting blood, imaging, or genetic data to identify patterns that predict treatment response, aiming to personalize anxiety care.
Recently added Anxiety trials
Receive magnetic brain stimulation to reduce anxiety symptoms
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if treatment with the BTL-699-2 device (non-invasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) can decrease anxiety symptoms in adults (aged 22 years and older) diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the accelerated treatment protocol using the BTL-699-2 device reduce self-reported anxiety symptoms (as measured by the GAD-7 scale) 3 months after the final treatment? What are the safety and side effects associated with the use of the BTL-699-2 device during this accelerated protocol? Researchers will compare the active treatment group (Group A, receiving stimulation intensity of up to 70% of the individual's motor threshold) to a sham control group (Group B, receiving an inactive stimulation intensity of 5% of their motor threshold) to see if the active brain stimulation works to treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Participants will: * Attend a screening/baseline visit to confirm GAD diagnosis (using the MINI diagnostic interview), review medical history, and establish their individual motor threshold. * Complete 8 study treatment visits scheduled twice weekly (2 to 4 days apart) over approximately 4 weeks. Each visit will consist of two consecutive 19-minute treatment sessions delivered at least 15 minutes apart (for a total of 16 treatments). * Complete self-reported and clinician-reported questionnaires assessing anxiety (GAD-7, HAM-A), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), well-being (WEMWBS), suicidal risk (CSSRS), clinical improvement (CGI-I, PGI-I), and treatment comfort/satisfaction (TCQ, SSQ) at designated baseline, treatment, and follow-up visits. * Undergo a urine pregnancy test at baseline and once weekly (every other treatment visit) if they are women of childbearing potential. * Attend 2 follow-up visits scheduled at 1 month and 3 months after the final treatment to evaluate long-term outcomes and safety
Try therapy dog support during practical exams
Physiotherapists work closely with patients to assess, diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Thus, it is essential that education should assess these key competencies through both written examinations (to measure cognitive understanding) and practical examinations (to measure clinical skills). Practical examinations have been found to require more preparation and have been reported to be more anxiety-inducing than other forms of examination. One possible strategy to assist with reducing examination stress for students is canine interaction. In the inpatient hospital setting, animal-assisted therapy has found to be a safe and useful option for managing stress. Within the university setting, canine interaction has been shown to improve mood, affect, well-being and reduce stress. However, most of the previous work in this area did not investigate canine-intervention during exams. This study will utilise a randomised-controlled trial design to measure the impact of canine interaction immediately prior to practical examinations on perceived and physiological stress and determine if canine interaction impacts examination scores.
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