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Related Concept Videos

Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview01:26

Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
1. Benzodiazepines:
Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone01:29

Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone

Benzodiazepines are a class of anxiolytic drugs known for their rapid efficacy and high therapeutic-to-lethal dose ratio, but with a potential risk of drug dependence. These drugs are lipophilic, allowing for rapid absorption after oral administration, eventually reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Once in the CNS, benzodiazepines bind to the allosteric site of the GABAA receptor. This binding enhances the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. By doing so, they prevent...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines01:19

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines have both sedative and hypnotic properties. They include compounds such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax). Structurally, their cores are similar, consisting of the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring, but they share a common mechanism of action in the central nervous system (CNS).
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...
Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview01:23

Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview

Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents01:23

Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents

Atypical antidepressants, including bupropion (Wellbutrin), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone (Serzone), trazodone (Desyrel), and vilazodone (Viibryd), offer unique mechanisms of action. Bupropion weakly inhibits dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, aiding depression treatment and smoking cessation, with a low risk of sexual dysfunction. Mirtazapine enhances serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmission, leading to sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain. As a result, it helps treat...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements
05:42

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements

Published on: January 7, 2019

Emerging anxiolytics.

Nirvana S Pillay1, Dan J Stein

  • 1University of Cape Town, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Anzio Road, Observatory 7925, South Africa. nirvana.pillay@gmail.com

Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs
|November 6, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Anxiety disorders are common, impacting productivity. New medications targeting novel mechanisms, including d-cycloserine, antipsychotics, and beta-blockers, are needed for treatment-refractory patients.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry and Pharmacology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Anxiety disorders are prevalent psychiatric conditions with substantial economic and productivity costs.
  • Current first-line treatments like SSRIs, SNRIs, and benzodiazepines are effective but often insufficient for treatment-refractory cases.
  • There is a critical need for novel, better-tolerated medications for anxiety disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current understandings of the mechanisms underlying anxiety disorders.
  • To explore emerging pharmacological treatments for anxiety disorders.
  • To highlight promising therapeutic targets and agents.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on anxiety disorder mechanisms.
  • Analysis of emerging medications and their proposed mechanisms of action.

More Related Videos

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats
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The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

Published on: June 17, 2013

Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test
07:54

Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test

Published on: June 29, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements
05:42

Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements

Published on: January 7, 2019

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats
05:05

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

Published on: June 17, 2013

Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test
07:54

Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test

Published on: June 29, 2018

  • Discussion of novel therapeutic strategies.

    • Main Results:

    • Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are standard treatments.
    • Benzodiazepines remain in common use for anxiety management.
    • Emerging mechanisms involving d-cycloserine, second-generation antipsychotics, and beta-blockers show significant therapeutic potential.

    Conclusions:

    • Understanding anxiety disorder mechanisms is key to developing new treatments.
    • Novel agents like d-cycloserine, antipsychotics, and beta-blockers offer exciting prospects for managing treatment-refractory anxiety.
    • Further research into these mechanisms and medications is warranted.