Biological markers for anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD: A consensus statement. Part II: Neurochemistry, neurophysiology and neurocognition
Open accessAbstract
Objective: Biomarkers are defined as anatomical, biochemical or physiological traits that are specific to certain disorders or syndromes. The objective of this paper is to summarise the current knowledge of biomarkers for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Methods: Findings in biomarker research were reviewed by a task force of international experts in the field, consisting of members of the World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry Task Force on Biological Markers and of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Anxiety Disorders Research Network.Results: The present article (Part II) summarises findings on potential biomarkers in neurochemistry (neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine or GABA, neuropeptides such as cholecystokinin, neurokinins, atrial natriuretic peptide, or oxytocin, the HPA axis, neurotrophic factors such as NGF and BDNF, immunology and CO2 hypersensitivity), neurophysiology (EEG, heart rate variability) and neurocognition. The accompanying paper (Part I) focuses on neuroimaging and genetics.Conclusions: Although at present, none of the putative biomarkers is sufficient and specific as a diagnostic tool, an abundance of high quality research has accumulated that should improve our understanding of the neurobiological causes of anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD.
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No biomarker of anxiety and related disorders has to date proven sufficiently sensitive and specific for widespread adoption in clinical practice.
“Despite the extent and rigor of research on the neurobiology of anxiety and related disorders, no biomarker of these conditions has to date proven sufficiently sensitive and specific for widespread adoption in clinical practice 11,12 .”
From The clinical characterization of the adult patient with an anxiety or related disorder aimed at personalization of management (2021) · cites this paper as [11]
At present, none of the putative biomarkers has proved sufficient and specific as a diagnostic tool for anxiety disorders.
“however, at present, none of the putative biomarkers has proved sufficient and specific as a diagnostic tool for anxiety disorders.”
From The German Guidelines for the treatment of anxiety disorders: first revision (2022) · cites this paper as [6]
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References 553 · Cited by 347
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Gray J McNaughton N The neuropsychology of anxiety: An enquiry into the functions of septo-hippocampal system 2nd ed Oxford (UK) Oxford University Press 2000 440
- Authors
- Bandelow, B., Baldwin, D., Abelli, M., Bolea-Alamanac, B., Bourin, M., Chamberlain, S. R., Cinosi, E., Davies, S., Domschke, K., Fineberg, N., Grünblatt, E., Jarema, M., Kim, Y.-K., Maron, E., Masdrakis, V., Mikova, O., Nutt, D., Pallanti, S., Pini, S., Ströhle, A., Thibaut, F., Vaghi, M. M., Won, E., Wedekind, D., Wichniak, A., Woolley, J., Zwanzger, P., & Riederer, P.
- Affiliations
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- University of Southampton (GB)
- University of Pisa (IT)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Université de Nantes (FR)
- University of Hertfordshire (GB)
- University of Chieti-Pescara (IT)
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (PL)
- Korea University (KR)
- North Estonia Medical Centre (EE)
- Eginition Hospital (GR)
- Foundation Biological Psychiatry, Sofia, Bulgaria;
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- Stiftung Charité (DE)
- Hôpital Cochin (FR)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Inn-Salzach-Klinikum (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Bandelow, Borwin
- ORCID
- Bandelow, Borwin
- Baldwin, David
- Abelli, Marianna
- Bolea-Alamanac, Blanca
- Bourin, Michel
- Chamberlain, Samuel R.
- Cinosi, Eduardo
- Davies, Simon
- Domschke, Katharina
- Fineberg, Naomi
- Grünblatt, Edna
- Jarema, Marek
- Kim, Yong-Ku
- Maron, Eduard
- Nutt, David
- Pallanti, Stefano
- Pini, Stefano
- Ströhle, Andreas
- Thibaut, Florence
- Vaghi, Matilde M.
- Won, Eunsoo
- Wedekind, Dirk
- Wichniak, Adam
- Zwanzger, Peter
- Riederer, Peter
- Venue
- The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-07-15
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 162-214
- ISSN
- 1562-2975 (ISSN-L)
- 1814-1412
- PMC
- PMC5341771
- OpenAlex
- W2462592197
- Cited by
- 347
- References
- 553
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 45 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 37.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Explore Bristol Research (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (acceptedVersion)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- CINECA IRIS Institutial research information system (University of Pisa) (submittedVersion)
- CINECA IRIS Institutial research information system (University of Pisa) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- BIROn (Birkbeck, University of London) (submittedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- GRO (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- Apollo
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (110,049/Z/15/Z, 110049)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Keywords
- biomarkers, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, neurochemistry, neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, GABA, neuropeptides, oxytocin, cholecystokinin, neurokinins, atrial natriuretic peptide, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurotrophic factors, nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurophysiology, EEG, heart rate variability, neurocognitive function
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety Disorders, Biological Psychiatry, Humans, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Societies, Medical, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Biomarkers, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Advisory Committees, Consensus
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