DeCure's autonomous Psychiatry AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for social anxiety disorder — screening already-approved drugs against its 7-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleSocial anxiety disorder maps to a 7-gene Open Targets module — the target space DeCure's AI scientist screens approved drugs against.
DeCure.ai methodSignature reversal (LINCS) plus network proximity (STRING) rank already-approved drugs likely to perturb this module — the same engine that produces DeCure.ai's repurposing hypotheses.
Repurposing thesisScreening approved medicines against this disease module, then publishing the evidence for the strongest candidate. Known pharmacology and human exposure data make the first question sharper — they do not establish safety or efficacy in a new indication.
Research record
01
ResearchComing soon
Candidate research + dossier — target rationale, drug-repurposing thesis and evidence pack.proof: Published dossier + on-chain hash
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ValidationComing soon
In-vitro biological validation at a contract research org (CRO).proof: CRO contract + in-vitro report
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Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Structures already discussed alongside social anxiety disorder in the retrieved literature, rendered from public PubChem SMILES. Which drugs appear here reflects the evidence found, not a ranked prediction.
Molecular view
Crystal Structure Analysis of LeuT — Imipramine has a real, experimentally solved structure in complex with this target (PDB 2Q72, 1.7 Å). This is the drug's own deposited structure, not a prediction, and confirms it is a structurally characterised molecule rather than an untested guess.
Loading structure…
helix sheet ixxdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 2Q72 · 1.7 Å · ligand Imipramine (IXX). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Non-pharmacologic treatments for social anxiety disorder, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapies, have gained substantial empirical support over the last two decades, though questions remain about how to maximise benefit. A 2015 model-based economic analysis from the perspective of the British National Health Service compared 28 interventions and found that individual cognitive therapy was the most cost-effective option for adults, followed by generic individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), the monoamine oxidase inhibitor phenelzine, and book-based self-help without support. Other drugs, group-based psychological interventions, and other individually delivered psychological interventions were less cost-effective. The analysis did not account for drug side effects; the authors note that considering side effects would strengthen the conclusion in favour of CBT, because phenelzine carries serious side effects.
A 2021 quasi-experimental study in Tehran tested a social-cognitive treatment program for anxiety disorders in adolescents aged 13 to 15 diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Thirty-two participants were assigned to either a twelve-session intervention or a no-intervention control group. The experimental group showed a significant reduction in social anxiety symptoms compared to controls (p < 0.01), and the effect was maintained at follow-up. The authors concluded the program, which emphasised adolescent capability, awareness, insight, and lifestyle change, could reduce symptoms.
A 2022 neuroimaging study of 177 young adults from the community examined how polygenic risk for anxiety and childhood trauma interact to affect brain network connectivity and state-trait anxiety. Significant gene-environment interactions were found in the intra-network connectivity of the visual network, default mode network, self-reference network, and sensorimotor network. The effect of childhood trauma on trait anxiety was mediated by disrupted sensorimotor network connectivity, with a significant direct effect also present. The influence of polygenic risk on anxiety was mainly mediated through sensorimotor network paths, and this mediation was moderated by childhood trauma levels. The authors suggest these network-specific functional changes may advance understanding of anxiety pathogenesis and guide treatment.
What is still missing are long-term comparative data on the benefits and harms of psychological versus pharmacological interventions, more precise cost-effectiveness estimates, and trials that stratify patients by genetic or environmental risk factors such as childhood trauma or polygenic risk scores. The 2014 review notes that although both psychological and pharmacological treatments are effective, there is still a lot we do not know.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Archives of General Psychiatry · 1980 · 729 citations
Treatment of Endogenous Anxiety With Phobic, Hysterical, and Hypochondriacal Symptoms
AbstractEndogenous anxiety (anxiety hysteria, agoraphobia with panic attacks) is characterized by sudden, spontaneous panic attacks accompanied by multiple autonomic symptoms, overwhelming fear, a flight response, and polyphobic behavior. Psychotherapy, behavior therapy, and tranquillizers have been of limited success in treating this syndrome. Fifty-seven patients severely disabled by the syndrome for a mean period of 13 years completed the three-month study. Randomly assigned in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design to imipramine hydrochloride, pheneizine sulfate, or placebo, they were seen in supportive group therapy every two weeks. Patients in the pheneizine and imipramine cells showed significant improvement ovehe persistent trend for pheneizine to be superior to imipramine achieved significance only on the Work and Social Disability Scale and the Sympton Severity and Phobic Avoidance Scale. The implications for classification and theory are discussed.
Non‐pharmacologic treatments for social anxiety disorder
AbstractOBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to present a review of research on the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions for children, adolescents and adults with social anxiety disorder. Data are presented on the relative efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs), pharmacotherapy and combination treatments. We also discuss research on specific clinical conditions that are likely to influence treatment success. METHOD: Relevant studies were identified through literature searches, reference lists and research databases. RESULTS: Non-pharmacologic treatments for social anxiety disorder, particularly CBTs, have gained substantial empirical support over the last two decades. However, questions remain about how to maximize the benefit of available treatments. CONCLUSION: New directions for future research in this area are discussed.
The Cost Effectiveness of Psychological and Pharmacological Interventions for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Model-Based Economic Analysis
AbstractBACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorder is one of the most persistent and common anxiety disorders. Individually delivered psychological therapies are the most effective treatment options for adults with social anxiety disorder, but they are associated with high intervention costs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the relative cost effectiveness of a variety of psychological and pharmacological interventions for adults with social anxiety disorder. METHODS: A decision-analytic model was constructed to compare costs and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) of 28 interventions for social anxiety disorder from the perspective of the British National Health Service and personal social services. Efficacy data were derived from a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Other model input parameters were based on published literature and national sources, supplemented by expert opinion. RESULTS: Individual cognitive therapy was the most cost-effective intervention for adults with social anxiety disorder, followed by generic individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), phenelzine and book-based self-help without support. Other drugs, group-based psychological interventions and other individually delivered psychological interventions were less cost-effective. Results were influenced by limited evidence suggesting superiority of psychological interventions over drugs in retaining long-term effects. The analysis did not take into account side effects of drugs. CONCLUSION: Various forms of individually delivered CBT appear to be the most cost-effective options for the treatment of adults with social anxiety disorder. Consideration of side effects of drugs would only strengthen this conclusion, as it would improve even further the cost effectiveness of individually delivered CBT relative to phenelzine, which was the next most cost-effective option, due to the serious side effects associated with phenelzine. Further research needs to determine more accurately the long-term comparative benefits and harms of psychological and pharmacological interventions for social anxiety disorder and establish their relative cost effectiveness with greater certainty.
The Lancet Psychiatry · 2014 · 6 citations · open access
Improving outcomes in social anxiety disorder
AbstractSocial anxiety disorder is increasingly recognised as a highly prevalent and debilitating disorder, with huge costs in terms of personal distress of patients and economic costs to society.1 A substantial number of randomised controlled trials have examined the effects of treatments for social anxiety disorders, and although both psychological and pharmacological treatments are effective, there is still a lot we do not know.
Journal of Psychiatric Research · 2022 · 3 citations · open access
Contribution of brain network connectivity in predicting effects of polygenic risk and childhood trauma on state-trait anxiety
AbstractBACKGROUND: Anxiety is usually attributed to adverse environmental factors, but it is known as a polygenic inheritance disease. Gene-environment interactions on the occurrence and severity of anxiety are still unclear. The role of brain network connectivity in the gene-environment effects on anxiety has not been explored and may be key to understanding neuropathogenesis and guiding treatment. METHODS: This study recruited 177 young adults from the community that completed functional magnetic resonance imaging, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), state-trait anxiety scores, and whole exome sequencing. We calculated polygenic risk score (PRS) for anxiety and the sum score of CTQ, which are genetic and environmental factors that may affect anxiety, respectively. Abnormal brain network connectivity determined by the gene-environment effects and its associations with anxiety scores were then explored. RESULTS: Except for the main effect of PRS or CTQ on intra-network connectivity, significant interactions were found in intra-network connectivity of visual network, default mode network, self-reference network, and sensorimotor network. Moreover, altered network connectivity was related to anxious tendency. In particular, the effect of CTQ on trait anxiety was mediated by the disrupted sensorimotor network, accompanied by a significant direct effect. However, the PRS influence on anxiety was mainly mediated through sensorimotor network paths, which exceeded the direct influence and was moderated by childhood trauma levels. CONCLUSIONS: These network-specific functional changes related to individual gene-environment risks advance our understanding of psychiatric pathogenesis of anxiety and provide new insights for clinical intervention.
Quarterly Journal of Child Mental Health · 2021 · 1 citations · open access
Developing of a social-cognitive treatment program for anxiety disorders and evaluation its effectiveness on symptoms of social anxiety
AbstractBackground and Purpose: Social anxiety disorder is defined as the fear of social situations and performance. It would be evoked with anxiety, negative thoughts, and emotions either under real circumstances or the prediction of future experience of the reiterated situations. The goal of the present study was to developing of a social-cognitive treatment program for anxiety disorders and evaluation its effectiveness on symptoms of social anxiety. Method: The study was designed as a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study conducted with a control group and follow-up. The population includes adolescents aged from 13 to 15 who were diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and their mothers gathered in district 5 in Tehran city in 2018. A sample of 32 participants was selected by the convenience sampling method and assigned to experimental and control groups. The instrument of the study included social anxiety questionnaire for adolescents (Lajerka & Lopez, 1998). The social-cognitive treatment program for anxiety disorder was conducted on the experimental group in twelve 60-minutes-sessions and the control group did not receive any intervention. At the end of the 12 sessions, both experimental and control groups were assessed by posttest and follow-up. To evaluate the obtained data, multivariate analysis of variance and T-test were utilized. Results: The results indicated that there is a significant difference between control and experimental groups in their social anxiety symptoms (p< 0.01). Furthermore, the results of paired samples T-test illustrated that the impact of the social-cognitive treatment program for anxiety disorder on social anxiety disorder was consistent until the follow-up. Conclusions: with regards to the present study`s findings, it can be concluded that the designed intervention program emphasizing an adolescent`s capability, awareness, insight, and change in their lifestyle, can reduce the social anxiety symptoms in adolescents.
Oxford University Press eBooks · 2012 · 1 citations
Treatment-Resistant Social Anxiety Disorder
AbstractSocial anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by a persistent fear of being embarrassed or humiliated in social or performance situations leading to marked impairment and distress. It is estimated that around 12% of the US population suffers from this condition. Although advances in the treatment of SAD have provided effective treatment options, it has been reported that only one half to two thirds of patients respond to a first line of treatment. This present chapter reviews the current knowledge on SAD and evidence-based treatments, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and other medications. Treatment options for managing treatment-resistant SAD, including optimization of first-line pharmacotherapy, switching, and augmentation, will also be discussed.
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works (targeted per-candidate search), resolved on OpenAlex.
DeCure is a research and publication project, not medical advice and not a treatment. "DeCure for X" describes a research goal, not a claim that a cure exists. Backing a cure is a contribution to fund the research — it is not an investment, and confers no yield, royalty, equity or IP ownership. Papers are published open-access by the DeCure.ai DAO.
