BACKGROUND Use of psychotropic and sedative drugs has been associated with impaired muscle strength. Muscle weakness predicts important outcomes for older people including functional disability and mortality. The objective of this study was to investigate if the use of drugs with sedative properties is associated with poorer muscle strength. METHODS Seven-hundred community-dwelling participan...

As an alternative to Hebb’s theory, mental life is described in terms of Sherrington’s synapses, habits, and William James’s notion of the stream of thought. The theory accounts for the major organic states, such as waking, sleep, and hypnotic trance; for states of general sensitivity; and for the following aspects of the stream of thought: thought objects with their fringes; acquainting (conce...

Insomnia is a common, often chronic medical disorder with significant medical and socioeconomic repercussions. However, unlike other medical conditions, there is intense debate as to whether the long-term treatment of insomnia is clinically appropriate. The perceived deleterious side effect of sedative-hypnotic medications may result in patients remaining untreated or undertreated. This review ...

BACKGROUND Sedative hypnotics form an important part of managing insomnia and are recommended for short-term use. It is standard practice for clinicians to inform the patient to use medications only 'when required', but the use of these medications is often chronic. Little is known about the impact of standard labelling/instructions on promoting appropriate medication use for managing insomnia....

Sedation is used almost universally in the care of critically ill patients, especially in those who require mechanical ventilatory support or other life-saving invasive procedures. This review will focus on the sedation strategies for critically ill patients and the pharmacology of commonly used sedative agents. The role of neuromuscular blocking agents in the ICU will be examined and the pharm...

The sedative and selected cardiopulmonary effects of acepromazine alone or in combination with methadone, morphine, or tramadol were compared in sheep. Six ewes were randomly assigned to treatments: A (0.05 mg/kg acepromazine), AM (A plus 0.5 mg/kg methadone), AMO (A plus 0.5 mg/kg morphine), and AT (A plus 5 mg/kg tramadol). Parameters were assessed before sedative drug administration (baselin...

CO(2)-laser C-fibre evoked cortical potentials (LCEPs) is a potentially useful animal model for studies of pain mechanisms. A potential confounding factor when assessing analgesic effects of systemically administered drugs using LCEP is sedation. This study aims to clarify: 1) the relation between level of anaesthesia and magnitude of LCEP, 2) the effects of a sedative and an analgesic on LCEP ...

Zolpidem, zopiclone and zaleplon are hypnotics with similar pharmacology to benzodiazepines. In addition to the usual adverse effects of sedative drugs, there have been unusual reactions associated with the 'z-drugs', particularly zolpidem. It is unclear why there have been so many reports of bizarre behaviour in Australians taking zolpidem. Some of the cases may be the result of other conditio...

In view of the persistently high mortality from hypertension in spite of the large number of measures recommended in the treatment of this disease one is forced to admit the futility or helplessness of the situation. In Ayman’s opinion, the “proper treatment is still unknown.” Evans and Loughnan, after a critical analysis and trial of thirty three different preparations in seventy cases of high...

A randomised, double-blind trial of atropine, atropine plus papaveretum, and atropine plus diazepam given intramuscularly as premedication for fibreoptic bronchoscopy in 60 patients showed no difference between the three regimens as assessed by bronchoscopist or patient. Bronchoscopists frequently attributed a sedative action to atropine alone and their assessment of tolerance and sedation was ...