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Pathophysiology and Pharmacology of GABAA Receptors

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Anxiety and Anxiolytic Drugs

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 169))

Abstract

By controlling spike timing and sculpting neuronal rhythms, inhibitory interneurons play a key role in brain function. GABAergic interneurons are highly diverse. The respective GABAA receptor subtypes, therefore, provide new opportunities not only for understanding GABA-dependent pathophysiologies but also for targeting of selective neuronal circuits by drugs. The pharmacological relevance of GABAA receptor subtypes is increasingly being recognized. A new central nervous system pharmacology is on the horizon. The development of anxiolytic drugs devoid of sedation and of agents that enhance hippocampus-dependent learning and memory has become a novel and highly selective therapeutic opportunity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    H. Möhler, J.-M. Fritschy, K. Vogt, F. Crestani & U. Rudolph

  2. Department of Chemistr and Applied Biosciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    H. Möhler

  3. Collegium Helveticum, Schmelzenbergstr. 25, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    H. Möhler

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  1. H. Möhler
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  2. J.-M. Fritschy
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  3. K. Vogt
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  4. F. Crestani
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  5. U. Rudolph
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie, Kraepelinstr. 10, 80804, München, Germany

    Florian Holsboer

  2. Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Schuhmannstr. 20/21, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Andreas Ströhle

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Möhler, H., Fritschy, JM., Vogt, K., Crestani, F., Rudolph, U. (2005). Pathophysiology and Pharmacology of GABAA Receptors. In: Holsboer, F., Ströhle, A. (eds) Anxiety and Anxiolytic Drugs. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 169. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28082-0_9

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