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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview01:28

Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview

The term "psychosis" refers to a spectrum of mental disorders characterized by abnormal thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors. It can manifest as mood disorders, dementia, delirium with psychotic features, substance-induced psychosis with psychotic features, brief psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Among all these disorders, schizophrenia is the most common psychotic disorder, affecting 1% of the worldwide population. Psychotic symptoms in all...
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.
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy01:26

Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

Antipsychotic drugs are a crucial treatment method for acute and chronic psychoses, bipolar illness, and behavioral disorders. The selection of these drugs depends on several factors, including the state of the disease, clinical judgment, possible drug interactions, and the patient's sensitivity to adverse effects. In immediate scenarios, such as delirium and dementia, short-term treatment with low doses of high-potency typical or atypical agents can effectively manage symptom exacerbation. For...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
10:32

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

Benzodiazepines for schizophrenia.

Markus Dold1, Chunbo Li, Magdolna Tardy

  • 1Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Technische Universität München Klinikum rechts der Isar, München,Germany. markus.dold@lrz.tu-muenchen.de

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|November 16, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evidence on benzodiazepines for schizophrenia is limited. While they may offer short-term sedation for agitation, more high-quality research is needed to confirm their efficacy and safety as monotherapy or adjunctive treatment.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 16, 2026

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
10:32

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills

Published on: April 23, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • Many individuals with schizophrenia do not respond adequately to antipsychotic monotherapy.
  • Benzodiazepines have been investigated as both monotherapy and adjunctive treatments for schizophrenia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of benzodiazepines in schizophrenia treatment.
  • To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials on benzodiazepine use in schizophrenia and related psychoses.

Main Methods:

  • Updated systematic review including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to February 2011.
  • Searched multiple databases and trial registers, with no language restrictions.
  • Included RCTs comparing benzodiazepines (monotherapy or adjunctive) with antipsychotics or placebo.

Main Results:

  • Benzodiazepine monotherapy showed no significant difference in response compared to placebo.
  • Benzodiazepine monotherapy did not differ significantly from antipsychotic monotherapy in clinical response, but increased sedation.
  • Benzodiazepine augmentation showed a statistically significant improvement in clinical response only in the very short-term (30 minutes) and increased sedation.

Conclusions:

  • Insufficient convincing evidence exists to support or refute benzodiazepine use in schizophrenia treatment.
  • Benzodiazepines may be effective for very short-term sedation in acutely agitated individuals with schizophrenia.
  • High-quality research with larger sample sizes is required to clarify the long-term evidence, especially for augmentation strategies.