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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...
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Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
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Aggression01:47

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Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for...
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The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
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Benzodiazepine use and aggressive behaviour: a systematic review.

Bonnie Albrecht1, Petra K Staiger2, Kate Hall3

  • 1School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.

The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
|September 4, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Benzodiazepine use is moderately linked to increased aggressive behavior in adults. Factors like drug dosage and individual personality may influence this association, though more research is needed.

Keywords:
Aggressionalprazolambenzodiazepinesdiazepamsystematic reviewviolence

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The link between benzodiazepine consumption and aggression is not well-established.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for patient safety and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review existing literature on the association between benzodiazepine use and aggressive behavior in adults.
  • To synthesize findings from studies investigating this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
  • Searches were performed across multiple major academic databases (MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, etc.).
  • Inclusion criteria focused on studies explicitly examining benzodiazepine use and aggression in human adults.

Main Results:

  • Forty-six studies met the inclusion criteria; meta-analysis was not feasible due to heterogeneity.
  • A majority of rigorous studies indicated an association between benzodiazepine use and subsequent aggression.
  • Diazepam and alprazolam were frequently studied; dose-related effects were inconsistent, with potential influence from anxiety and hostility traits.

Conclusions:

  • A moderate association exists between certain benzodiazepines and aggressive behavior in humans.
  • The specific conditions that increase the likelihood of benzodiazepine-related aggression require further investigation.
  • Dose and individual personality factors may play a role in this observed effect.