BACKGROUND Although a decrease in new prescribing has occurred for anxiolytic benzodiazepines, concerns have been raised that a 'core' of long-term users has been left behind. Typically, elderly people represent this 'core', using the benzodiazepines as hypnotics. OBJECTIVE The present study focuses on the reasons why hypnotic benzodiazepines are used for protracted lengths of time. By examin...

Medazepam, a new benzodiazepine, was studied as an oral preanaesthetic medication in adult women in a dose of 10 mg, and the findings compared with those obtained with diazepam 10 mg or a dummy capsule using a double-blind technique. In the doses used medazepam produced less drowsiness than diazepam and was no more anxiolytic than the placebo.

Disabling phobias and phobia like compulsive rituals are surprisingly common in the general population, though only a minority ask for help. Behavioural treatment (exposure) and antidepressants are the most helpful approaches. Most patients can help themselves if they use a self exposure approach systematicaily under the guidance of a clinician. The method seems weli suited for use by general p...

There exist many case reports and studies on the antipsychotic augmentation by aripirazole in partial responders to clozapine, the most seem to be finding a slight difference in the PANSS and CGI scores after the aripirazole addition. The results of our report are compatible with those of other studies but, we have found a considerable antianxiety action in both of the cases. The 5HT1A agonism ...

Over the last decade there have been further developments in our knowledge of the risks and benefits of benzodiazepines, and of the risks and benefits of alternatives to benzodiazepines. Representatives drawn from the Psychopharmacology Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Association for Psychopharmacology together examined these developments, and have p...

Antidepressants are one of the three most commonly used therapeutic drug classes in the United States (1). While the majority of antidepressants are taken to treat depression, antidepressants can also be taken to treat other conditions, like anxiety disorders. This Data Brief provides the most recent estimates of antidepressant use in the U.S. noninstitutionalized population, including prevalen...

M unpleasant, uncomfortable, and painful procedures take place throughout various areas in the hospital, including the emergency department, intensive care units, general medicine floors, and procedural areas. These procedures can include, but are not limited to, cardioversion, orthopedic injury reduction, burn debridement, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, and interventional imaging.1,2 Patients may ex...