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Central Actions of Benzodiazepines: General Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

W. E. Haefely
W. E. Haefely*
Affiliation:
Pharma Research Department, Building 69, F. Hoffmann–La Roche & Co. Ltd., CH 4002 Basle, Switzerland
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Summary

After a brief review of the characteristic somatic and psychotropic effects of benzodiazepines evidence is presented which supports a specific facilitatory action of these drugs on GABA ergic synapses within the mammalian central nervous system. Benzodiazepines enhance presynaptic inhibition in the spinal cord and dorsal column nuclei as well as postsynaptic inhibition in dorsal column nuclei, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, cerebellar cortex, which are all examples of recurrent and collateral inhibition mediated by GABA ergic intrinsic neurones. In addition, the compounds also enhance the inhibitory effect of GABA ergic long projection neurones in the substantia nigra and the lateral vestibular nucleus of Deiters. Several problems remain to be solved, such as the exact site at which benzodiazepines initiate their action (pre-synaptically at GABA ergic nerve endings or postsynaptically at the target cells) and the possible existence of endogenous ligands for the benzodiazepine receptor. Some suspected implications which studies on benzodiazepine binding sites could have for a deeper understanding of the mode of action of these drugs are discussed.

Type
Symposium
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 133 , Issue 3 , September 1978 , pp. 231 - 238
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1978 

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