OBJECTIVE Estimate the prevalence of psychotropic drugs use in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and establish its relationship with the presence of mental disorders. METHODS A probabilistic sample of non-institutionalized individuals, from the general population of Rio de Janeiro (n = 1208;turn out:81%), 15 years or older, who were interviewed using the Composite International Diagnostic I...

In the literature, there are some data which indicate that benzodiazepines and other chemical compounds with the same mechanism of action (Diazepam, Chlordiazepoxide, Lorazepam, Zopiclone, etc.) also have other effects. We investigated the effects of experimental chronic inflammation under the administration of some tranquilizers and hypnotics on peripheral algesia induced in rats by "writhing ...

BACKGROUND Significant underuse of evidence-based treatments for depression persists in primary care. We examined the effects of 2 primary care-based quality improvement (QI) programs on medication management for depression. METHODS A total of 1356 patients with depressive symptoms (60% with depressive disorders and 40% with subthreshold depression) from 46 primary care practices in 6 nonacad...

The nonmedical use of prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications implies that the user is using them for reasons other than those indicated in the prescribing literature or on the box label. The abuse of these medications is a national issue. Intentional drug abuse of prescribed and OTC medicines has climbed steadily. Data from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health demonstrate...

Benzodiazepines (BDZs) are the chemicals having the versatile medicinal values. These are the type of psychotropic drug, that is, they concern the mind and can amend frame of mind. Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and are subsequently used therapeutically as anxiolytics, tranquilizers, hypnotics, anticonvulsants in epilepsy and centrally ...

The application of L·DOPA (L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) to the treatment of extrapyramidal disorders has been extremely beneficial for parkinsonism 1)-8). At the same time several side-effects have been recognized. Among them, the appearance of dyskinesia poses an important problem 8)-13l , but causative mechanisms of L·DOPA induced dyskinesia are not yet sufficiently elucidated. Such dyskine...

OBJECTIVE A study was conducted to assess a variety of treatment outcomes in long-term users of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) who suffer from chronic pain. Key components of the study examined the effects of long-term TENS therapy on pain-related medications and physical/occupational therapy (PT/OT) use. DESIGN From a population of 2,(X)3 chronic pain patients (CPPs) who ...

The mechanism of ovulation in mammalians has been brought to the field of study in the past decade. The ovulation is undoubtedly induced by the gonadotropin from the adenohypophysis. On the other hand the mechanism controlling the release of gonadotropin from the adenohypophysis has not been clearly elucidated. No matter what mechanism is involved in triggering the gonadotropin secretion from a...

Multidrug use is well documented among nonmedical users of prescription stimulants. We sought to provide insight into the drug use patterns of those reporting nonmedical use of prescription attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimulants in an attempt to discern whether such use is a first step in a pattern of drug-abusing behavior or, conversely, is a later development accompanied o...

We review recent findings pertaining to several environmental agents (ethanol, phencyclidine, ketamine, nitrous oxide, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, halothane, isoflurane, and propofol) that have the potential to delete large numbers of neurons from the developing brain by a newly discovered mechanism involving interference in the action of neurotransmitters [glutamate and gamma-amino butyric ...