hypnotic drugs are prescribed to many older adults despite the nearly 5-fold increased risk of adverse cognitive events associated with their use (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47 to 15.47), the 2.6-fold increased risk of adverse psychomotor events (95% CI 1.12 to 6.09), the association with falls and hip fractures and the 5-fold increased risk of hospital admission after a motor vehicle colli...

Dexmedetomidine, the D-enantiomer of medetomidine, is among the most potent sedative drugs known. It is also one of the best understood in terms of its molecular and cellular mechanisms. Its sedative (and probably its neuroprotective) effects are mediated by subtype A of the α2 adrenergic receptor, a G-protein-coupled receptor. Acting as an agonist at this receptor, dexmedetomidine causes numer...

As well as the traditional sedative/hypnotic group of drugs that relieve anxiety by day and promote sleep at night there are several other groups of drugs that are used to treat insomnia-particularly antidepressant, antipsychotic, and antihistamine drugs. As they differ substantially in their pharmacological and clinical effects on withdrawal I will consider them separately. The seven sleepers ...

The term 'barbiturate' refers to drugs which are derivatives of barbituric acid (malonylurea). Barbituric acid itself has no significant psychotropic properties, but its derivatives may have a variety of effects on the central nervous system. Certain of those compounds with significant depressant or sedative-hypnotic properties are of primary importance in medical and nonmedical use. Many of th...

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, and is often associated with significant medical, psychological, and social disturbances. Conventional medical treatment for insomnia includes psychological and pharmacological approaches; however, long-term use of frequently prescribed medications can lead to habituation and problematic withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, herbal and other natural sleep a...

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome, also known as drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS), is a rare, acute and severe life-threatening systemic disease. DRESS syndrome is characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, rash, hypereosinophilia and involvement of systemic organs. The most commonly implicated drugs are anticonvulsants, sulfonamides and allopurinol. ...

Asperugo procumbents L. has been used in Iranian traditional medicine for the refreshing, tranquillizing and mood elevating activities. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antidepressant and sedative-hypnotic potential of acute administration of the hydroalcoholic extract of this plant in mice. Additionally, the effects of flumazenil on the hypnotic activity of the extracts were ev...