Leo Sternbach and the benzodiazepines 60 years on: A revolutionary treatment for anxiety disorders
Larissa Junkes, Mauro V. Mendlowicz, Richard I. Shader, Antônio Egídio Nardi
Abstract
• Until the 1960s, the treatment of anxiety disorders was quite limited. • Leo Sternbach was the chemist who first synthesized a benzodiazepine. • Benzodiazepines helped in identifying pharmacological targets for treating anxiety. • The current goal is to create specific agonists for the GABA-A receptor α2-subtype.
Topics & Concepts
AnxietyBenzodiazepineAnti-Anxiety AgentsGeneralized anxiety disorderPsychiatryPharmacologyMedicineGeneralized anxietyReceptorInternal medicineNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchPharmacological Receptor Mechanisms and EffectsTreatment of Major Depression