Valerenic acid is a component of the essential oil of valerian. According to "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine," as a health supplement, valerenic acid has both sedative and anti-anxiety properties. These effects result from valerians ability to...
Sedative medications are neurological depressants. As depressants of the neurological system have anxiolytic, or anti-anxiety, effects, many sedatives are used successfully as anti-anxiety drugs. Sedatives also have analgesic, or pain-relieving,...
Ambien contains the compound zolpidem. Like all medications, zolpidem is gradually eliminated from the body. As Drugs.com indicates, the half-life of zolpidem is approximately 2 1/2 hours (it varies from patient to patient). This means that every...
For some anxiety sufferers, the condition impairs their lives. If anxiety-reducing techniques have not helped reduce your level of anxiety, medication may be the answer. Each type of anxiety medication interacts with different neurotransmitters,...
The Center for Substance Abuse Research at the University of Maryland states that benzodiazepines are a commonly prescribed depressant, which reduce the amount of function in the central nervous system, causing a relaxing feeling. Benzodiazepines,...
Doctors prescribe Ambien, generic name zolpidem, for the treatment of insomnia, a condition chiefly defined by the inability to fall and stay asleep. Ambien interacts with specialized sites in the brain called omega-1 sites. These sites are...
Short-term memory is the ability to store sensory information for relatively short times, ranging from a few minutes to a few days. The main site for storing short-term memories is the hippocampus, a region in the brain's limbic system. In order...
A 2010 review in the "Medical Clinics of North America" states that insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It is often reported during routine medical evaluations as well. Sleeping pills have long been used to treat difficulties initiating...
Medication is often used to manage the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Antidepressants, anxiolytics (anti-anxiety) and beta blocker medications are given most often, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). However, according...
Black cohosh, a member of the buttercup family, is native to eastern regions of North America. The roots and rhizomes of the plant are used in traditional herbal medicine for their purported pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and sedative...
Benzodiazepines are a group of drugs that treat anxiety on a short-term basis. The medication acts on the GABA receptor, which results in a calming effect that reduces the anxiety symptoms. Benzodiazepines are fast acting, relieving symptoms...
Alcoholism is a complex disorder that arises from both genetic factors and environmental influences. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a person's genes account for about 50 to 60 percent of the risk of becoming...
Depression and anxiety are psychological disorders that affect a patient's emotions and ability to function in daily life. Medication is often prescribed to help manage symptoms; however, medication doesn't treat the cause of either disorder.
Circuits within the central nervous system function via two chief chemical messengers, namely the excitatory signal glutamate and the inhibitory signal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Baclofen works as a GABA receptor agonist, increasing the...
Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine drug first synthesized by Upjohn/Pfizer in 1969. It is sold under the trade name of Xanax for the treatment of anxiety. Alprazolam is also used to treat insomnia, panic and depression. According to the June 23, 2009,...
Originally manufactured as anti-anxiety medications, depressants are often abused or used illegally, according to the Nemours Foundation. Depressants go by numerous street names, such as ludes, downers, jackets, goofballs and barbs. By decreasing...
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) affects about 6.8 million adults in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). A patient with GAD cannot control her level of anxiety, has problems relaxing and concentrating...
Ambien, the brand name for the generic drug zolpidem, binds to benzodiazepine-GABA receptors, a class of chemical receptors in the brain that reduces cell activity. Not surprisingly, several different parts of the brain downshift their...
GABA, or gamma amino butyric acid, is a popular but as yet unproven antidote to sagging, wrinkled skin. Purveyors of anti-wrinkle creams containing GABA argue that the substance's muscle-relaxing qualities should act in a manner similar to Botox...
Memory for particular events, people or places develops over three distinct stages: acquisition, consolidation and retrieval. Drugs that cause amnesia typically do so by interfering with the initial acquisition and consolidation stages, where...
The brain's main memory site is the hippocampus. The hippocampus, part of the brain's limbic system, is located in the temporal lobe on the side of the brain. This brain region plays a crucial role in storing information that needs to be kept...
Noni is the small, lumpy green fruit of the Morinda citrifolia tree. Noni juice has been used extensively in traditional Polynesian cultures for conditions such as menstrual cramps, fever and head lice. Noni may provide your nervous system with...
A patient with an anxiety disorder has uncontrollable worry, which can cause a racing heart, rapid breathing and chest pain. The severity and frequency of symptoms interfere in the patient's life and can make it difficult to function. Medications,...
The brain's functions, including sensation, emotions, muscle control and cognition, are all governed by small cells called neurons. Neurons represent a complicated network of interconnected cells that communicate with each other using chemical...
Lunesta, or eszopiclone, is a prescription sedative and tryptophan is an amino acid; both are used to treat insomnia. Insomnia can affect your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Chronic insomnia can leave you sleepy during the day and impair...
According to an article in the British Journal of Pharmacology, Zolpidem (Ambien) is a drug that mimics some of the effects of the benzodiazepine class of medications. Benzodiazepines are drugs that can be used to treat insomnia because they have...
Alcohol, even after one or two drinks, can damage the brain; when a person abuses alcohol, the damages become irreversible. Alcohol is a central nervous depressant, which decreases activity in the cerebral cortex, reticular formation, spinal cord...
Millions use sleeping pills to get to sleep every night. In fact, over 20% of older Americans use some kind of sleeping pill, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center (they do not define a range for "older"). Knowing the benefits and...
Small amounts of anxiety are normal in a child; however, when the levels of anxiety become distressing, treatment may be needed. Medication is an option for children, but parents should be cautious before giving pharmaceuticals to a child. The...
