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Increased central noradrenergic activity during benzodiazepine withdrawal: an electrophysiological study
J Bell1, P C Bickford-Wimer, R de la Garza
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262.
Neuropharmacology
|November 1, 1988
Abstract:
Spontaneous discharge rates of cerebellar Purkinje neurons were decreased in rats withdrawn from chronic treatment with alprazolam, diazepam, and lorazepam relative to discharge rates recorded from control rats. Prior treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine to deplete cerebellar levels of norepinephrine significantly reduced this effect of diazepam upon Purkinje cell firing rates. The data suggest that increased noradrenergic activity may be occurring during withdrawal from benzodiazepines.