Sedatives, Hypnotics and Anxiolytics

Abstract

The major objective of this chapter is to concisely explain and equip pharmacy students with the chemical and pharmacological knowledge of traditional/ conventional and newer sedative-hypnotics and anxiolytics, that is, barbiturates, benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine agents. Upon studying this book chapter, students will be able to:

• Categorize Chemically/Pharmacologically sedative-hypnotics and anxiolytics.

• Explain the mechanisms by which barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and nonbenzodiazepine sedative-hypnotics and anxiolytics exert their pharmacological effects.

• Summarize the benzodiazepine and barbiturate structure-activity relationships (SAR).

• Describe the key pharmacokinetic (ADMET) characteristics of individual drug molecules.

Keywords: Anxiolytics, Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, GABA receptor, GABAA receptor agonists, Hypnotics, Inverse agonists and antagonists, Orexins, Partial agonists, Ramelteon, Sedatives, Structure-activity relationships, Z-drugs.