DESCRIPTION:
Understanding and addressing the current opioid crisis requires knowledge of endogenous opioids (endorphins and enkephalins), but there is now evidence for a benzodiazepine crisis. Are there endogenous benzodiazepine-like substances_and what do they do? How do they affect antianxiety drugs and their adverse effects? Do they explain enigmatic prolonged benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome? This book raises important questions about the clinical consequences of ignoring the existence of or understanding the potential influence of endogenous benzodiazepines on the therapeutic effect of benzodiazepines, their adverse effects, and the problems of withdrawal from them and other benzodiazepine receptor agonists.
FEATURES:
- Discusses endogenous benzodiazepine-like substances_what do they do, and do they affect antianxiety drugs and their adverse effects?
- Presents information on enigmatic prolonged benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome
- Describes the compounds acting at the BDZ binding sites, both exogenous (classical BDZ drugs and BDZ from food and plants) and endogenous (endozepines)
- Assesses the putative interactions in physiology, pathology, and pharmacology of the compounds acting at the BDZ binding sites
CONTENTS:
Section I: Introduction and Basic Principles
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Benzodiazepines and Related Substances: Chemistry
Chapter 3 Central Benzodiazepine Receptors: Structure and Function
Chapter 4 Benzodiazepines and Related Substances: Therapeutic Uses and Problems
Chapter 5 Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptors
Section II: Naturally-occurring Benzodiazepines
Chapter 6 The search for Endogenous Benzodiazepines in Humans
Chapter 7 Evidence for Presence in Non-human Animals
Chapter 8 Biologically Active Phytochemicals Having Benzodiazepine-like Actions
Chapter 9 Benzodiazepines, Flavonoids and GABA
Chapter 10 The Microbiome and Benzodiazepines: A Connection?
Section III: Implications for Therapeutics
Chapter 11 Anxiety, Sleep, and Benzodiazepines
Chapter 12 The Effects of Benzodiazepines on Memory
Chapter 13 Naturally Occurring and Exogenous Benzodiazepines in Epilepsy: An Update
Section IV: Implications for Tolerance, Withdrawal, Abuse
Chapter 14 Impact of Endogenous Benzodiazepines on Tolerance, Abuse, or Withdrawal
