The primary use of sedative–hypnotic and anxiolytic drugs is to encourage calmness (anxiolytics or sedatives) or to produce sleep (sedative–hypnotics). All people are subject to states of emotional tension and uneasiness. For otherwise healthy individuals, these occasions are usually sufficiently mild and short that pharmacological intervention is unnecessary. However, at times the symptoms of ...

In previous studies using Fos expression as a marker of neuronal activation, we showed that nitrous oxide (N(2)O) activates bulbospinal noradrenergic neurons in rats and that destruction of these neuronal pathways leads to loss of N(2)O antinociceptive action. Based on previous rat studies it has been proposed that these noradrenergic neurons are activated through opioid receptors through the r...

Peter H. Tonner, MD* BACKGROUND: The IV anesthetic, etomidate, has structural and clinical similarities to specific 2-adrenoceptor agonists such as dexmedetomidine. We investigated whether the sedative effects of etomidate may be mediated by 2-adrenoceptors. METHODS: The anesthetic potency of etomidate (1–20 M) was determined in Xenopus laevis tadpoles in the absence and presence of the specifi...

Scoparia dulcis Linn. (SD) is a perennial herb that has been well studied for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective effects. However, scientific information on SD regarding the neuropharmacological effect is limited. This study evaluated the sedative and hypnotic effect of the ethanolic extract of whole plants of Scoparia dulcis (EESD). For this purpose, the who...

The rhizomes of Gastrodia elata have been used for the treatment of insomnia in oriental countries. N⁶-(4-hydroxybenzyl) adenine riboside (NHBA) was originally isolated from G. elata. For the first time we report a detailed study on the effects and mechanisms of NHBA on its sedative and hypnotic activity. Adenosine, an endogenous sleep factor, regulates sleep-wake cycle via interacting with ade...

OBJECTIVE The authors sought to identify patterns and associations of prescription and over-the-counter sedative-hypnotic use in an older, rural, blue-collar, community-based cohort in southwestern Pennsylvania over 10 years. METHODS A group of 1,627 individuals age 65 and over were recruited and assessed during 1987-1989 and re-assessed during approximately biennial waves. Data included slee...

Insomnia is highly prevalent and associated with considerable morbidity. Several very efficacious treatments, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic, exist for the management of insomnia. New modes of delivery and new formulations of existing sedative-hypnotic medications have been introduced. Novel agents are still being developed and tested to arrive at a hypnotic that has limited side effe...