Psycho-biological Substrates of Therapeutic Benefit of Thermal Cure on Generalized Anxiety Disorders

Multicenter study comparing paroxetine (n=30) versus thermal cure (n=30) in patients with a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorders

Main objective is to quantify the therapeutic benefit of a thermal cure on generalized anxiety disorders and to understand the psycho-biological substrates of this improvement.

Secondary objectives:

• A decrease of Insula activity at rest during the answers to aversive pictures and during the task of subjective measurement of heartbeat.
• A decrease of sensibility to emotional interference by subliminal presentation of emotional words thanks to a lexical task and a color recognition task associated to simultaneous measurement of physiological indicator of emotional activity ( dermal resistance)

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnostic of generalized anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV)
• No treatment by antidepressant for at least 2 months
• No treatment by anxiolytic/neuroleptic/bete blockers/antipsychotic for at least 3 weeks
• Global score of Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) is greater or equal to 20
• Score of HAM-A symptoms greater or equal to 8
• Score of Hamilton Depressive Scale (HAM-D) lower or equal to 7
• Age: Participants will be males and females, 18-75 years of age included.
• For women, no ongoing pregnancy/ negative pregnancy test
• No wounds
• Affiliation to a social security system (recipient or assignee)
• Signed written inform consent form

Exclusion criteria

• Treatment by antidepressant for at least 2 months or a treatment by anxiolytic, neuroleptic for at least 3 weeks
• Psychotropic treatment (antidepressant, anxiolytic and neuroleptic) between the preinclusion and inclusion
• Psychotherapy during the 3 months prior to the inclusion
• Thermal cure during the 6 months prior to the inclusion
• Treatment by paroxetine for at least 1 month with dose equal or superior to 20 mg per day during the 12 months prior to the inclusion
• Contraindication to paroxetine
• Enhanced protection (minors, pregnancies women, nursing women,people deprived of liberty by administrative or judicial decision, ...)
• Blood donation during the 3 months prior to the inclusion