Abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?

Withdrawal of anxiolytic agents such as ethanol, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines may result in a syndrome characterised in its most severe form by delirium and seizures. There is increasing evidence that anxiolytic drugs produce their pharmacological effects by enhancing brain gamma-aminobutyric a...

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Opis bibliograficzny
Główni autorzy: Cowen, P, Nutt, D
Format: Journal article
Język:English
Wydane: 1982
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author Cowen, P
Nutt, D
author_facet Cowen, P
Nutt, D
author_sort Cowen, P
collection OXFORD
description Withdrawal of anxiolytic agents such as ethanol, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines may result in a syndrome characterised in its most severe form by delirium and seizures. There is increasing evidence that anxiolytic drugs produce their pharmacological effects by enhancing brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transmission. During long-term exposure to anxiolytics, brain GABA synapses show evidence of adaptive changes which would tend to reduce the effect of the anxiolytic and restore normal GABA function. Abrupt cessation of anxiolytic treatment might therefore lead to an acute reduction in GABA function; this change could underlie the severe symptoms associated with tranquilliser withdrawal.
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spelling oxford-uuid:23f4d1bd-7e4e-448f-97d9-42f33bed5aa82022-03-26T11:47:06ZAbstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:23f4d1bd-7e4e-448f-97d9-42f33bed5aa8EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1982Cowen, PNutt, DWithdrawal of anxiolytic agents such as ethanol, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines may result in a syndrome characterised in its most severe form by delirium and seizures. There is increasing evidence that anxiolytic drugs produce their pharmacological effects by enhancing brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transmission. During long-term exposure to anxiolytics, brain GABA synapses show evidence of adaptive changes which would tend to reduce the effect of the anxiolytic and restore normal GABA function. Abrupt cessation of anxiolytic treatment might therefore lead to an acute reduction in GABA function; this change could underlie the severe symptoms associated with tranquilliser withdrawal.
spellingShingle Cowen, P
Nutt, D
Abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?
title Abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?
title_full Abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?
title_fullStr Abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?
title_full_unstemmed Abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?
title_short Abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs: is there a common neurochemical mechanism?
title_sort abstinence symptoms after withdrawal of tranquillising drugs is there a common neurochemical mechanism
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AT nuttd abstinencesymptomsafterwithdrawaloftranquillisingdrugsisthereacommonneurochemicalmechanism