CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines

• CNS depressants like barbiturates and benzodiazepines vary in the level of CNS inhibition they induce, which is influenced by the type of drug and the dose administered.
• Tranquilizers, also known as anti-anxiety medications or anxiolytics, can help bring a patient from a tense state to a calm state.
• Sedatives can further depress the CNS to induce drowsiness, reducing the desire for physical activity, which can be beneficial for patients recovering from conditions like heart attacks.
• Hypnotics are used to induce and maintain a state of sleep, and they include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, alcohol, and other miscellaneous hypnotics.
• Barbiturates enhance the inhibitory actions of GABA in the brain and spinal cord by binding to chloride channels, leading to increased CNS depression.
• Barbiturates can produce dose-dependent CNS depression, with potentially dangerous effects like respiratory depression, coma, and even death at high doses due to their suppression of life-sustaining reflexes.
• Benzodiazepines work by binding to benzodiazepine receptors on GABA-chloride channels, increasing the frequency of chloride channel opening and leading to various effects such as sedation, muscle relaxation, anti-seizure effects, and tranquilization.

Explore the differences between CNS depressants like barbiturates and benzodiazepines, their mechanisms of action, and potential effects on the central nervous system. Learn about how tranquilizers, sedatives, and hypnotics can influence an individual's state of mind and physical activity levels.