Pharmacology sleep

Pharmacological Profiles of Anxiolytics and Sedative—Hypnotics. Historically, chemotherapy of anxiety and sleep disorders rehed on a wide variety of natural products such as opiates, alcohol, cannabis, and kawa pyrones. Use of various bromides and chloral derivatives ia these medical iadications enjoyed considerable popularity early ia the twentieth century. Upon the discovery of barbiturates, numerous synthetic compounds rapidly became available for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. As of this writing barbiturates are ia use primarily as iajectable general anesthetics (qv) and as antiepileptics. These agents have been largely replaced as treatment for anxiety and sleep disorders. 

The concept of dose response in pharmacology has been known and discussed for some time. A prescription written in 1562 for hyoscyamus and opium for sleep clearly states, If you want him to sleep less, give him less [13], It was recognized by one of the earliest physicians, Paracelsus (1493-1541), that it is only the dose that makes something beneficial or harmful All things are poison, and nothing is without poison. The Dosis alone makes a thing not poison. ... 

The treatment of non-motor symptoms, such as psychological conditions, sleep disorders, and autonomic dysfunction, should include both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches. Patients should be given suggestions for maintaining ADLs, a positive self-image, family communication, and a safe environment. 

Walsh JK, Schweitzer PK. Ten-year trends in the pharmacological treatment of insomnia. Sleep 1999 22 371-375. 

Pharmacological experiments have strongly implicated acetylcholine in the control of REM sleep. In humans, intravenous infusion of the AChE inhibitor... 

Karczmar, A. G., Longo, V. G. De Carolis, A. S. (1970). A pharmacological model of paradoxical sleep the role of cholinergic and monoamine systems. Physiol. Behav. 5, 175-82. 

M2 subtype modulates the amount of REM sleep. If postsynaptic muscarinic receptors of the M2 subtype contribute to REM sleep generation, then pharmacological manipulation of M2-activated signal transduction cascades would be anticipated to alter REM sleep (1.2 on Fig. 5.1). 

Tononi, G. Pompeiano, O. (1996). Pharmacology of the chohnergic system. In The Pharmacology of Sleep, ed. A. Kales, pp. 143-210. Berlin Springer. 

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