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Related Concept Videos

Management of Insomnia01:19

Management of Insomnia

The sleep cycle, an integral part of human health, consists of several stages with distinct characteristics and functions. It begins with a transition from wakefulness to sleep, known as the light sleep phase, followed by the restorative deep sleep phase, essential for physical recovery and growth. The cycle concludes with the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) phase, characterized by high brain activity and vivid dreaming. Insomnia, a prevalent sleep disorder, involves difficulty falling asleep, staying...
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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: 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...
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...
Insomnia01:27

Insomnia

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings during the night, and waking up too early without being able to return to sleep. People with insomnia often experience these disruptions at least three nights a week for at least one month. Chronic insomnia, which lasts for at least three months, can lead to increased anxiety, which in turn can worsen sleep difficulties, creating a cycle of sleeplessness and stress.
Multiple factors contribute...
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...

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Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness and Safety of Shugan Jieyu Capsules for the Treatment of Insomnia
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Published on: February 17, 2023

Cortical GABA levels in primary insomnia.

Peter T Morgan1, Edward F Pace-Schott, Graeme F Mason

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. peter.morgan@yale.edu

Sleep
|June 2, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

People with insomnia have higher brain GABA levels, possibly as an adaptive response to hyperarousal. This finding suggests GABA plays a role in sleep regulation and may be a target for insomnia treatment.

Keywords:
GABAInsomniahyperarousalmagnetic resonance spectroscopypolysomnography

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a key neurotransmitter for sleep initiation and maintenance.
  • Primary insomnia is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure cortical GABA levels in individuals with and without primary insomnia using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
  • To investigate the relationship between brain GABA content and polysomnographic sleep measures in both groups.

Main Methods:

  • A two-group comparison study involving non-medicated individuals with primary insomnia (N=16) and controls (N=17).
  • Participants underwent sleep diaries, regular sleep schedules, ambulatory polysomnography, and a single proton MRS session.
  • Occipital GABA/creatine ratios were the primary outcome measure, with secondary measures including sleep parameters and GABA correlations with wake time after sleep onset.

Main Results:

  • Individuals with primary insomnia exhibited significantly higher mean occipital GABA levels (12% increase) compared to controls (P < 0.05).
  • No significant differences were found between groups in age, sex, BMI, sleep schedules, or substance use.
  • A significant negative correlation was observed between GABA levels and time awake after sleep onset in both groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated cortical GABA levels in primary insomnia may represent an allostatic, adaptive response to chronic hyperarousal.
  • The consistent negative relationship between GABA and wake time after sleep onset supports the adaptive nature of this response.
  • These findings highlight the role of GABAergic systems in the pathophysiology of insomnia and suggest potential therapeutic avenues.