Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines01:14

CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines

CNS depressants include drugs from the category of barbiturates and benzodiazepines. They are valuable medications for managing anxiety disorders and insomnia. Barbiturates, once used to induce and maintain sleep, have been replaced mainly by benzodiazepines due to barbiturate's toxicity, tolerance, and overdose risks. They interact with GABAA receptors, leading to sedation at low doses and potentially coma and death at higher doses. Phenobarbital, a long-acting barbiturate, possesses...
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates01:20

Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Barbiturates

Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a drug class that acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to alleviate anxiety, promote relaxation and induce sleep.These drugs function by amplifying the actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), resulting in reduced neuronal activity. Barbiturates, a subset of sedatives and hypnotics first synthesized in the late 1800s, are categorized into ultra-short, short, intermediate, and long-acting groups based on their duration of effect. A key...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents01:29

Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disorder marked by chronic inflammation of the GI tract. Various treatment strategies for Crohn's disease are employed, such as immunomodulatory agents, glucocorticoids, and biologics or anti-TNF therapy. Azathioprine (Imuran), a commonly used immunomodulatory drug for Crohn's disease, is converted in the body to mercaptopurine, which inhibits purine biosynthesis and cell proliferation. Both are utilized in severe cases of Inflammatory Bowel Disease...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

White matter hyperintensities are associated with locus coeruleus atrophy and astrocytic β<sub>2</sub>-adrenergic receptor expression.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2026
Same author

One-Year Brain Structural Changes Are Associated with Postoperative Delirium and Delayed Resolution of Interleukin-6.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026
Same author

Responsibility cannot be abdicated: a mandate for patient-centred precision care in perioperative brain health. Comment on Br J Anaesth 2026; 137: 26-30.

British journal of anaesthesia·2026
Same author

C1q-mediated synapse loss by microglial phagocytosis is associated with postoperative neurocognitive disorder in mice.

British journal of anaesthesia·2026
Same author

A novel circuit driven by hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons mediates postoperative memory deficits.

Brain, behavior, and immunity·2026
Same author

Astrocyte-neurone crosstalk mediates dexmedetomidine sedation.

British journal of anaesthesia·2026
Same journal

Outpatient Anesthesia in 2026: Scaling Care, Advancing Safety, Shaping the Future.

Anesthesiology clinics·2026
Same journal

Ambulatory Anesthesia: How Far Can We Go?

Anesthesiology clinics·2026
Same journal

Perioperative Management of Patients on Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Undergoing Ambulatory Surgery: Clinical Considerations for Anesthesiologists.

Anesthesiology clinics·2026
Same journal

Applying the 2024 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines for Cardiac Evaluation and Managment of Patients Having Noncardiac Surgeries in an Ambulatory Setting.

Anesthesiology clinics·2026
Same journal

Comprehensive Review of Office-Based Anesthesia Safety 2026 for the Next Generation.

Anesthesiology clinics·2026
Same journal

A Contemporary Review on Health Care Disparities in Pediatric Ambulatory Anesthesia.

Anesthesiology clinics·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
07:54

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Published on: December 6, 2016

Sedation & immunomodulation.

Robert D Sanders1, Tracy Hussell, Mervyn Maze

  • 1Magill Department of Anaesthetics, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, SW10 9NH, London, UK. robert.sanders@imperial.ac.uk

Anesthesiology Clinics
|November 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Appropriate sedation strategies are crucial for critically ill patients. Dexmedetomidine shows promise in sepsis, unlike benzodiazepines, warranting further investigation for immune modulation.

More Related Videos

Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression
07:30

Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression

Published on: June 15, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 2026

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
07:54

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Published on: December 6, 2016

Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression
07:30

Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression

Published on: June 15, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Critical care medicine
  • Neuroimmunology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Sedation choices for critically ill patients can influence immune responses via neural-immune interactions.
  • Autonomic activity control through sedation is vital, especially in infection.
  • Opioid-based sedation may be detrimental in infectious states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of different sedatives on immune responses in critically ill patients.
  • To explore the potential benefits of dexmedetomidine as an alternative to benzodiazepines in sepsis.
  • To investigate the role of alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists in modulating immune function during critical illness.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on sedative effects on immune and neural-immune pathways.
  • Analysis of secondary data from the MENDS trial concerning septic patients.
  • Discussion of potential clinical trials comparing dexmedetomidine with propofol.

Main Results:

  • Benzodiazepines appear to have detrimental effects in patients with infection.
  • Dexmedetomidine demonstrated a 70% mortality benefit in a secondary analysis of septic patients.
  • Immune effects of sedatives may be linked to the mu receptor, suggesting limited differences between certain opioids.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is urgently needed to confirm the deleterious effects of benzodiazepines in infection.
  • Dexmedetomidine presents a potential therapeutic benefit in septic patients, meriting larger clinical trials.
  • Optimizing sedation strategies may be key to modulating immune responses and improving outcomes in critical care.