ABSTRACT
In the last 30 years, benzodiazepines (BDZs) have been the preferred drugs for the treatment of insomnia due to their extensive evaluation and relative safety for short-term use. BDZs act non-selectively at two central receptor binding sites, named ω1 and ω2,
1 which are both located on the GABAA (γ-aminobutyric acid A) receptor complex but in different areas of the central nervous system (CNS). BDZs have anxiolytic, sedative, myorelaxant, and anticonvulsant effects that arise from their non-selective interaction with these two types of receptors. In particular, the action on the ω1 subtype mediates their sedative activity, whereas ω2 subtype interaction is responsible for their anxiolytic, myorelaxant, and anticonvulsant effects2 as well as for their effect on memory and cognitive functioning.
