Abstract

Compounds that are clinically used as hypnotics, sedatives, anxiolytics, and anticonvulsants share a spectrum of related activities that may reflect a common molecular substrate within the brain. The alcohols, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates represent the principal classes of compounds reviewed. Whereas the mode of action of a number of hypnotics, sedatives, and anxiolytics is known, many agents used as anticonvulsant agents act by unknown mechanisms and as a result have considerable side effect liabilities. Newer agents including -aminobutyric acid (GABA) modulators, glutamate and N-methyl-D-aspartate acid (NMDA)-receptor antagonists, nonbenzodiazepine ligands for the central benzodiazepine (BZ)receptor, and a variety of miscellaneous agents including CCK-A receptor antagonists (CI-988) and 5HT receptor modulators are also discussed.