Top 10 Core Functions Of Central Nervous System (CNS) Drugs

Jun 20, 2025Leave a message

 

Sedation and Hypnosis

- Representative Drugs: Benzodiazepines (diazepam), barbiturates (phenobarbital).

- Mechanism: Enhances the effect of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, suppresses cortical excitability, relieves anxiety, and induces sleep.

- Clinical Use: Treats insomnia, anxiety disorders, and preoperative sedation.

 

Antiepileptic and Anticonvulsant Effects

- Representative Drugs: Sodium valproate, carbamazepine, levetiracetam.

- Mechanism: Controls epileptic seizures by inhibiting abnormal neuronal discharges (e.g., blocking sodium channels) or enhancing GABAergic transmission.

- Clinical Use: Various epilepsies (e.g., tonic-clonic seizures, absence seizures) and febrile convulsions.

 

Analgesia, Antipyretic, and Anti-Inflammatory Effects

- Representative Drugs:

- Opioids (morphine, fentanyl);

- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, e.g., ibuprofen).

- Mechanism:

- Opioids: Activate central opioid receptors to inhibit pain transmission;

- NSAIDs: Inhibit prostaglandin synthesis to reduce pain and inflammation.

- Clinical Use: Postoperative pain, cancer pain, and chronic pain (e.g., arthritis).

 

Antidepressant and Anxiolytic Effects

- Representative Drugs:

- Antidepressants: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, e.g., fluoxetine), norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (e.g., venlafaxine);

- Anxiolytics: Buspirone, benzodiazepines.

- Mechanism: Regulates central monoamine neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine) to improve mood regulation.

- Clinical Use: Depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

 

Antipsychotic Effects

- Representative Drugs: First-generation antipsychotics (chlorpromazine), second-generation (risperidone, olanzapine).

- Mechanism: Block central dopamine D2 receptors to alleviate positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions); some drugs also act on serotonin receptors for negative symptoms.

- Clinical Use: Schizophrenia, acute mania in bipolar disorder.

 

Central Muscle Relaxation

- Representative Drugs: Baclofen, tizanidine.

- Mechanism: Inhibits spinal reflex hyperexcitability to relieve skeletal muscle spasm (e.g., blocks glutamatergic transmission).

- Clinical Use: Spasticity from multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, etc.

 

Cognitive Enhancement

- Representative Drugs: Cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil), NMDA receptor antagonists (memantine).

- Mechanism:

- Donepezil: Inhibits acetylcholine degradation to enhance cognitive neurotransmission;

- Memantine: Regulates glutamate activity to protect neurons.

- Clinical Use: Cognitive impairments like Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

 

Central Antitussive Effect

- Representative Drugs: Codeine, dextromethorphan.

- Mechanism: Suppresses the medullary cough center to block the cough reflex arc.

- Clinical Use: Non-productive cough (e.g., severe cough from colds, bronchitis).

 

Central Nervous System Stimulation

- Representative Drugs: Methylphenidate (for ADHD), caffeine.

- Mechanism: Promotes dopamine and norepinephrine release to enhance cortical alertness.

- Clinical Use: ADHD, narcolepsy, and countering central depression (e.g., sedative overdose).

 

 Anesthesia and Anesthetic Adjuvant Effects

- Representative Drugs:

- General anesthetics: Propofol, sevoflurane;

- Anesthetic adjuvants: Midazolam, fentanyl.

- Mechanism: Inhibits CNS excitability to induce loss of consciousness, analgesia, and muscle relaxation.

- Clinical Use: Surgical anesthesia and sedation for endoscopic procedures.

Supplementary Notes:

- CNS drugs act with high selectivity, targeting molecular mechanisms like neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, and enzymes.

- Some drugs have multiple functions (e.g., sodium valproate for epilepsy and mania), requiring precise indication-based use.

- Long-term use may involve dependence, tolerance, or neurotoxicity, necessitating strict adherence to clinical guidelines.

 

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