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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.
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...
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...
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists01:30

Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists

Cognitive enhancers, also known as "smart drugs," are substances used to enhance memory, mental alertness, and concentration. These can be natural or synthetic and improve cognition in conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Some common examples include caffeine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, arecoline, donepezil, vortioxetine, and piracetam. These enhancers work on the principle of synaptic plasticity and altered circuit function. They...
Hepatic Encephalopathy01:29

Hepatic Encephalopathy

DefinitionHepatic encephalopathy is a reversible neurologic syndrome that results from advanced liver dysfunction or portosystemic shunting. It leads to disturbances in cognition, behavior, and motor function due to the brain’s exposure to gut-derived toxins that the liver fails to detoxify.EtiologyThis condition develops either in the setting of acute fulminant hepatitis or progressively during chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Portosystemic shunting—including...
Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects01:12

Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects

While local anesthetics are generally safe and well-tolerated, they can occasionally cause adverse effects that vary in severity. Local anesthetics can induce toxicity at two distinct levels. They can either produce local effects through direct contact with the neural elements or be absorbed into the bloodstream from the injection site, leading to systemic effects.
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

A Computerized Test Battery to Study Pharmacodynamic Effects on the Central Nervous System of Cholinergic Drugs in Early Phase Drug Development
07:02

A Computerized Test Battery to Study Pharmacodynamic Effects on the Central Nervous System of Cholinergic Drugs in Early Phase Drug Development

Published on: February 11, 2019

Acute lorazepam effects on neurocognitive performance.

David W Loring1, Susan E Marino, David Parfitt

  • 1Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. dloring@emory.edu

Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B
|October 30, 2012
PubMed
Summary

A single 2 mg dose of lorazepam impacts cognition, but older adults are not at higher risk for side effects, except in dual-task performance. This study investigated lorazepam

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

A Computerized Test Battery to Study Pharmacodynamic Effects on the Central Nervous System of Cholinergic Drugs in Early Phase Drug Development
07:02

A Computerized Test Battery to Study Pharmacodynamic Effects on the Central Nervous System of Cholinergic Drugs in Early Phase Drug Development

Published on: February 11, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Lorazepam is a common initial treatment for status epilepticus and seizure clusters.
  • Understanding potential cognitive side effects is crucial for patient safety.
  • Age-related differences in drug response require investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess age-dependent cognitive side effects of acute lorazepam administration.
  • To compare cognitive performance in young and older adults after a 2 mg oral dose of lorazepam.
  • To investigate the relationship between lorazepam plasma concentrations and cognitive function.

Main Methods:

  • Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study design.
  • Inclusion of 15 young (mean age 22) and 12 older (mean age 64) adult subjects.
  • Utilized a computerized cognitive test battery to assess neurocognitive domains.

Main Results:

  • Lorazepam significantly affected most cognitive domains, except reasoning.
  • A significant drug-by-age interaction was observed only for dual-task performance.
  • No significant correlation between plasma lorazepam levels and cognitive test performance was found.

Conclusions:

  • Acute 2 mg lorazepam administration causes cognitive side effects in adults.
  • Older adults (mean age 64) do not exhibit increased risk for most lorazepam-induced cognitive side effects compared to younger adults.
  • Dual-task performance is the primary cognitive domain where older individuals show increased sensitivity to lorazepam's effects.