IMPORTANCE Although concern exists regarding the rate of benzodiazepine use, especially long-term use by older adults, little information is available concerning patterns of benzodiazepine use in the United States. OBJECTIVE To describe benzodiazepine prescription patterns in the United States focusing on patient age and duration of use. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A retrospective des...

Zolpidem is not a typical GABAA receptor hypnotic. Unlike benzodiazepines, zolpidem modulates tonic GABA currents in the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, exhibits residual effects in mice lacking the benzodiazepine binding site, and improves speech, cognitive and motor function in human patients with severe brain injury. The receptor by which zolpidem mediates these effects is not known. ...

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)-gated Cl- influx was studied in rat brain "microsacs." Midazolam caused a shift to the left of the GABA log dose-response curve. Pentobarbital produced a similar shift plus an increase in maximum response. Diazepam, flurazepam and desalkylflurazepam also enhanced GABA-gated Cl- flux. Their effects were blocked by Ro15-1788, a benzodiazepine antagonist. Acute diaze...

Five rats were trained to respond for 10% sucrose and 10% sucrose/0.006% quinine in an operant procedure. Both solutions were concurrently available on independent, variable-interval 5-s schedules of reinforcement. Rats reliably responded for both solutions throughout the sessions and made approximately 68% of their total daily responses for the sucrose solution. When injected prior to the sess...