Anxiolytics, Sedatives And Hypnotics Flashcards
Benzodiazepines
Aprazolam Chlordiazepoxide Clonazepam Diazepam Lorazepam Midazolam Temazepam Oxazepam
BZD antagonists
Flumazenil
Azapirones
Buspirone
Miscellaneous insomnia medications
Zolpidem
Zaleplon
Eczopiclone
Suvorexant
Melatonin receptor agonist
Remelteon
General effects of CNS depressants as a function of dose
Anxiolysis Sedation Hypnosis General anesthesia Death- depression of medulla with resp. Suppression
*effects predominantly driven by dose
GABA cycling
Following neuronal release of GABA, it is transported to the nerve terminal by GAT-1 or transported to Astro Yates
Intracellularly, GABA is metabolized to glutamine and succinate by GABA aminotransferase in the astrocyte
Site of drug action
Complex, distinct binding to GABA-A receptor domain
Agonist activities at BZD receptor
Anxiolytic, sedative/hypnotic, muscle relaxant, anticonvulsant, amnestic dependency
Partial agonist activity at BZD receptor
Anxiolytic only
Partial inverse agonist
Promnestic (memory) enhancing
anxiogenic
Inverse agonist activity at BZD receptor
Promnestic
Anxiogenic
Pro-convulsants
*affects receptors that have constitutive activity and decrease the baseline level of activity. Receptor will still bind to an agonist or antagonist, but just modulates its baseline activity.
Clinical uses of benzodiazepine
Anxiety disorders Insomnia Seizure disorders Agitation or anxiety association with other psychiatric disorders Pre-operative amnestic Alcohol withdrawal Spastic disorders Involuntary movement disorders Sedation- pre procedural, during mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients
BZD are cross tolerant with
Alcohol
BZD and anxiety - adv/disadv
Selection is not driven by efficacy- all same efficacy in both acute and chronic anxiety. Driven by pharmacokinetics- side effect profiles
Adv- rapid onset, relatively safe, good tolerability- no activation, useful for breakthrough symptoms, may enhance adherences to Tx and alleviate activation Sx of SRRIs (worse anxiety when first start SSRI)
Disadv- no reliable antidepressant efficacy, limited spectrum of efficacy, BID/TID dosing, initial sedation, possibility of physiologic dependence, risk of w/d sx upon discontinuation, concern regarding abuse potential (polysubstance abusers, lower probability in anxious patients without substance abuse)