OBJECTIVE The efficacy of programmes to reduce long-term benzodiazepine use could be compromised by subsequent increases in contacts with the family practice. In this study the hypothesis was tested as to whether participation in a benzodiazepine discontinuation programme affects the frequency of contacts with the family practice. DESIGN A controlled stepped-care intervention programme to dec...

BACKGROUND Alterations in benzodiazepine receptor function have long been hypothesized to play a role in anxiety. Animal models of anxiety involving exposure to chronic stress have shown a specific decrease in benzodiazepine receptor binding in frontal cortex and hippocampus. The purpose of this study was to examine benzodiazepine receptor binding patients with panic disorder and comparison sub...

INTRODUCTION Introduced in the early 1960s, diazepam remains among the most frequently prescribed benzodiazepine-type sedatives and hypnotics. Patients with chronic use of short-acting benzodiazepines are frequently switched to diazepam because the accumulating, long-acting metabolite, N-desmethyl-diazepam, prevents benzodiazepine-associated withdrawal symptoms, which can occur during trough pl...

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to evaluate the impact of long-term benzodiazepine use on the subsequent risk of benign brain tumor (BBT) or malignant brain tumor (MBT) development. METHOD We used data from the National Health Insurance System of Taiwan. For the study cohort, we identified 62,186 patients who had been prescribed benzodiazepine for at least 2 months between January 1, 2000 a...

BACKGROUND Benzodiazepine use is common among patients in opioid agonist therapy; this puts patients at an increased risk of overdose and death. In this study, we examine the impact of baseline and ongoing benzodiazepine use, and whether patients are more likely to terminate treatment with increasing proportion of benzodiazepine positive urine samples. We also study whether benzodiazepine use d...

The anticonvulsant activity of Astragalus squarrosus total extract was assessed in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsion in mice, with diazepam as the standard drug, while mechanistic studies were also conducted using flumazenil, a GABA A-benzodiazepine receptor complex site antagonist. The extract produced protection against convulsion at 400 mg/kg, comparable with protection of...

intrathecal administration of midazolam has been reported to have antinociceptive action, and to be an effective analgesic agent. in this prospective double-blind study we aimed to evaluate the postoperative effects of intrathecal midazolam with lidocaine following perineal operation. forty patients were randomly allocated to two groups: 20 patients in the control group received 2 ml of 5% heav...

BACKGROUND Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed to elderly patients' despite concerns about adverse effects leading to injurious falls. Previous studies have not investigated the extent to which patients with pre-existing risk factors for falls are prescribed benzodiazepines. The objective of this study is to assess if some of the risk factors for falls are associated with new benzodiazepi...

OBJECTIVE To identify predictors of resumed benzodiazepine use after participation in a benzodiazepine discontinuation trial. METHOD We performed multiple Cox regression analyses to predict the long-term outcome of a 3-condition, randomized, controlled benzodiazepine discontinuation trial in general practice. RESULTS Of 180 patients, we completed follow-up for 170 (94%). Of these, 50 (29%) ...