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Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
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Centrally acting muscle relaxants reduce muscle tone and tension by interfering with the postsynaptic reflexes in the central nervous system.
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Skeletal muscle relaxants are a group of drugs that can reduce muscle stiffness and induce temporary paralysis to relieve pain. These agents can act centrally to reduce muscle tone or spasms in painful conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or spinal injuries; they are called antispasmodics or spasmolytics.
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Skeletal muscle relaxants are used to relax muscle tone and alleviate painful muscle contractions. However, the choice of skeletal muscle relaxants depends on the duration of the surgical procedure in order to minimize potential side effects. Skeletal muscle relaxants like neuromuscular blocking agents [NMBAs] are commonly employed as adjuvants alongside general anesthetics in clinical settings. NMBAs are also used to maintain controlled ventilation during surgery of the larynx or pharynx...
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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 24, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
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Baclofen for alcohol withdrawal.

Jia Liu1, Lu-Ning Wang

  • 1Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Changchun Street 45, Beijing, China, 100053.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|August 20, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Baclofen shows potential for treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), but current evidence is insufficient. More high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety for AWS symptom management.

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Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Medicine
  • Addiction Psychiatry

Background:

  • Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a serious condition requiring effective treatment.
  • Baclofen has shown potential for rapidly reducing AWS symptoms with a favorable safety profile.
  • This review is an update of previous Cochrane reviews on baclofen for AWS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the efficacy and safety of baclofen in managing alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS).

Main Methods:

  • Systematic search of multiple databases up to March 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
  • Inclusion of RCTs comparing baclofen to placebo or other treatments for AWS.
  • Data collection and analysis followed standard Cochrane methodologies.

Main Results:

  • Three RCTs with 141 participants were included.
  • No significant differences were found in CIWA-Ar scores when comparing baclofen to placebo, diazepam, or chlordiazepoxide.
  • Evidence quality was consistently rated as very low, precluding definitive conclusions on efficacy and safety.

Conclusions:

  • Insufficient and very low-quality evidence prevents drawing conclusions on baclofen's efficacy and safety for AWS.
  • Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish baclofen's role in AWS management.