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Related Concept Videos

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: 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...
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: 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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 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

Reimbursement restriction and moderate decrease in benzodiazepine use in general practice.

Joëlle M Hoebert1, Patrick C Souverein, Aukje K Mantel-Teeuwisse

  • 1Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Annals of Family Medicine
|January 11, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Dutch reimbursement restrictions moderately reduced benzodiazepine prescribing for new anxiety and sleeping disorders. Physicians can decrease benzodiazepine use where similar policies are absent.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 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

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacoeconomics
  • General Practice
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed for anxiety and sleeping disorders.
  • Misuse and high costs associated with benzodiazepines prompted policy changes.
  • Dutch policy excluded benzodiazepines from reimbursement for anxiolytic, hypnotic, or sedative use starting January 1, 2009.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of the Dutch reimbursement restriction on benzodiazepine prescribing.
  • To assess changes in benzodiazepine use for patients with newly diagnosed anxiety or sleeping disorders in general practice.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective observational study using the Netherlands Information Network of General Practice (LINH) database.
  • Identified patients aged 18+ with incident diagnoses of anxiety or sleeping disturbance between 2008 and 2009.
  • Compared benzodiazepine use and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) initiation rates between 2008 and 2009.

Main Results:

  • A decrease in benzodiazepine prescriptions was observed for both anxiety (30.1% vs. 33.7%) and sleeping disorders (59.1% vs. 67.0%) in 2009 compared to 2008.
  • The proportion of patients receiving multiple benzodiazepine prescriptions also decreased.
  • No significant increase in SSRI use for anxiety was detected.

Conclusions:

  • The reimbursement restriction led to a moderate reduction in benzodiazepine initiation for newly diagnosed anxiety and sleeping disorders.
  • This suggests that physicians have opportunities to reduce benzodiazepine prescribing in similar healthcare settings.
  • Policy interventions can influence prescribing patterns for psychotropic medications.