This review introduces a research strategy that may radically transform the pursuit of new anxiolytics, via the use of human models of anxiety in healthy individuals. Despite enormous investments in developing novel pharmacological treatments for anxiety disorders, pharmacotherapy for these conditions remains suboptimal. Most candidate anxiolytics from animal studies fail in clinical trials. We propose an additional screening step to help select candidate anxiolytics before launching clinical trials. This intermediate step moves the evidence for the potential anxiolytic property of candidate drugs from animals to humans, using experimental models of anxiety in healthy individuals. Anxiety-potentiated startle is a robust translational model of anxiety. The review of its face, construct, and predictive validity as well as its psychometric properties in humans establishes it as a promising tool for anxiolytic drug development. In conclusion, human models of anxiety may stir a faster, more efficient path for the development of clinically effective anxiolytics.

本综述介绍了一种研究策略，该策略可能通过在健康个体中使用人类焦虑模型从根本上改变对新抗焦虑药的追求。尽管在开发针对焦虑症的新型药物治疗方面投入了大量资金，但针对这些病症的药物治疗仍不理想。大多数来自动物研究的候选抗焦虑药在临床试验中失败。我们提出了一个额外的筛选步骤，以帮助在启动临床试验之前选择候选抗焦虑药。这个中间步骤使用健康个体的焦虑实验模型，将候选药物潜在抗焦虑特性的证据从动物转移到人类。焦虑增强惊吓是一种强大的焦虑转化模型。回顾它的面貌，构造，预测有效性及其在人类中的心理测量特性使其成为抗焦虑药物开发的有前途的工具。总之，人类焦虑模型可能会为开发临床有效的抗焦虑药开辟一条更快、更有效的道路。