314
P A R T 4
Drugs acting on the central and peripheral nervous systems
■■
Barbiturates are an older class of drugs used as
anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics. Because they
are associated with potentially serious adverse
effects and interact with many other drugs, they
are less desirable than the benzodiazepines or other
anxiolytics.
■■
Buspirone, a newer anxiolytic drug, does not cause
sedation or muscle relaxation. Because of the absence
of CNS effects, it is much preferred in certain
circumstances (e.g. when a person must drive, go to
work or maintain alertness).
■■
Newer hypnotic agents act in the RAS to affect
serotonin levels (zolpidem—not available in
New Zealand).
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ONLINE RESOURCES
An extensive range of additional resources to enhance teaching
and learning and to facilitate understanding of this chapter may
be found online at the text’s accompanying website, located on
thePoint at
These include Watch and
Learn videos, Concepts in Action animations, journal articles,
review questions, case studies, discussion topics and quizzes.
WEB LINKS
Healthcare providers and students may want to consult
the following Internet sources:
Home page of Beyond Blue
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Goodman, L. S., Brunton, L. L., Chabner, B. & Knollmann, B. C.
(2011).
Goodman and Gilman’s Pharmacological Basis of
Therapeutics
(12th edn). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kyrios, M., Mouding, R. & Nedeljkovic, M. (2011). Anxiety
disorders – Assessment and management in general practice
.
Australian Family Physician, 40
, 370–374.
Lampe, L. (2013). Drug treatment for anxiety.
Australian Prescriber,
36,
186–189.
McKenna, L. (2012).
Pharmacology Made Incredibly Easy
(1st Australian and New Zealand edn). Sydney: Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins.
McKenna, L. & Mirkov, S. (2014).
McKenna’s Drug Handbook for
Nursing and Midwifery
(7th edn). Sydney: Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins.
O’Brien, P. G. & Fleming, L. (2012). Recognizing anxiety disorders.
Nurse Practitioner, 37(10)
, 35–42.
Olson, L. G. (2008). Hypnotic hazards: Adverse effects of zolpidem
and other z-drugs.
Australian Prescriber, 31,
146–149.
Parcells, D. A. (2010). Women’s mental health nursing: Depression,
anxiety and stress during pregnancy.
Journal of Psychiatric &
Mental Health Nursing, 17
, 813–820.
Porth, C. M. (2011).
Essentials of Pathophysiology: Concepts
of Altered Health States
(3rd edn). Philadelphia: Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins.
Porth, C. M. (2009).
Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health
States
(8th edn). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Rang, H. P., Dale, M. M., Ritter, J. M., Flower, R. J. &
Henderson, G. (2011).
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Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
C H E C K Y O U R U N D E R S T A N D I N G
Answers to the questions in this chapter can be found in
Appendix A at the back of this book.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Select the best answer to the following.
1.
Drugs that are used to alter a person’s response to
the environment are called:
a.
hypnotics.
b.
sedatives.
c.
antiepileptics.
d.
anxiolytics.
2.
The benzodiazepines are the most frequently used
anxiolytic drugs because:
a.
they are anxiolytic at doses much lower than
those needed for sedation or hypnosis.
b.
they can also be stimulating.
c.
they are more likely to cause physical dependence
than older anxiolytic drugs.
d.
they do not affect any neurotransmitters.
