This book covers the entire field of research in the area of minor
tranquillisers and its application to current clinical practice in the treatment
of anxiety and insomnia These drugs are principally the benzodiaze pines and
related drugs with a similar mechanism of action, such as zolpidem and zopiclone
The molecular mechanism of action of benzodiazepines is described, focussing on
the interaction of these drugs with the different isoform of the GABAA receptor,
and the consequences of this for brain function Recent advances in this
knowledge have provided a framework for defining the physiochemical nature of
the interaction between such drugs and their receptor protein, and thus