Millions of the people in the United States suffer from painful, debilitating and even fatal anxiety and depression disorders. While there are several treatments available, they don’t work for all patients. And some of them come with side effects that people find as intolerable as their anxiety and depression.
To develop effective new treatments, it is necessary to understand the root cause of psychiatric illnesses. UW–Madison researchers are studying young non-human primates in an effort to understand the differences in brain structure and chemistry in those with moderate anxiety symptoms. This work, funded by the National Institutes of Health, could reveal new targets for therapy.
More information on this research
- Updated anxiety research protocol</lhttp://animalresearch.wisc.edu/news/university-communications/pilot-study-results-guide-changes-to-anxiety-research/”>Pilot study results guide changes to anxiety research
- Understanding the Root Cause of Anxiety and Depression (PDF)
- Statement on the importance of early life stress research from NIMH Director Tom Insel
- Dr. Robert Golden: Monkey studies vital to better psychiatric treatments
- Letter of support from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Letter of support from the American Psychiatric Association
- Responding to Ruth Decker’s change.org petition
- Responding to another Ruth Decker change.org petition
- Robert Kahn and Eric Sandgren discuss animal research ethics
- Eric Sandgren: Facts about the review of the early life stress study protocol
- Eric Sandgren: Responding to critical misconceptions of the early life stress research
- Rhesus macaque care and photos