Enhancement of Psychosocial Treatment With D-Cycloserine: Models, Moderators, and Future Directions.

ABSTRACT: Advances in the understanding of the neurobiology of fear extinction have resulted in the development of d-cycloserine (DCS), a partial glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate agonist, as an augmentation strategy for exposure treatment. We review a decade of research that has focused on the efficacy of DCS for augmenting the mechanisms (e.g., fear extinction) and outcome of exposure treatment across the anxiety disorders. Following a series of small-scale studies offering strong support for this clinical application, more recent larger-scale studies have yielded mixed results, with some showing weak or no effects. We discuss possible explanations for the mixed findings, pointing to both patient and session (i.e., learning experiences) characteristics as possible moderators of efficacy, and offe

SUBMITTER: Otto MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4808479 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature