The methanolic leaf extract of Thuja occidentalis was evaluated for possible sedative activities in mice. Sedative activity was evaluated by using hole cross, open field, thiopental sodium-induced sleeping time and elevated-plus maze (EPM) tests at 200mg/kg and 400 mg/kg.  The extract decreased the locomotor activity of mice in hole cross, open field and EPM test and showed the remarka...

Sedatives are widely prescribed for anxiety or insomnia and include benzodiazepines, selective benzodiazepine receptor subtype agonists (z-drugs), and barbiturates. These sedatives are controlled substances due to their potential for misuse and abuse. Misuse is often self-medication (chemical coping) of psychological symptoms in ways unauthorized by the prescriber, usually as dose escalation le...

Ethanol and other drugs of abuse modulate cAMP-PKA signaling within the mesolimbic reward pathway. To understand the role of the cAMP-PKA signal transduction in mediating the effects of ethanol, we have studied ethanol consumption and the sedative effects of ethanol in three lines of genetically modified mice. We report that mice with the targeted disruption of one Gsalpha allele as well as mic...

The purpose of this updating manuscript is to briefly describe the profile, clinical use and indication of some of the most used sedative and hypnotic compounds. About 2/3 of all hypnotic prescriptions go to chronic use. Benzodiazepines are among the most prescribed drugs worldwide. Women, elderly, psychiatric and medical disease patients are among chronic users of hypnotics. Zolpidem is now th...

Somnambulism, or sleepwalking, is a parasomnia occurring during Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. It is defined as complex behaviors during slow-wave (or deep) sleep, with the person often having no recollection of these events upon waking.1 It is associated with several medications, including sedative-hypnotics, antipsychotics, antidepressants, lithium, stimulants, antihistamines, and antic...

The methanolic leaf extract of Thuja occidentalis was evaluated for possible sedative activities in mice. Sedative activity was evaluated by using hole cross, open field, thiopental sodium-induced sleeping time and elevated-plus maze (EPM) tests at 200mg/kg and 400 mg/kg.  The extract decreased the locomotor activity of mice in hole cross, open field and EPM test and showed the remarka...