Pharmacology of Barbiturates: Electrophysiological and Neurochemical Studies

While many of the sedative-hypnotic barbiturates have been superseded following the discovery of the benzodiazepines, barbiturate still maintain an important role in therapeutics, especially in their use as anesthetics and antiepileptics.

Abstract

Barbituric acid was first synthesized by Baeyer in 1864, and this date marks the birth of an era that has witnessed the production of over 2,500 derivatives. The first barbiturate introduced into clinical medicine was barbital—a long-acting sedative-hypnotic agent. Phenobarbital was marketed in 1912 for use in the treatment of certain forms of epilepsy. The use of ultra-short-acting barbiturates as intravenous anesthetics began in the early 1930s, and thiopental, in particular, gained rapid popularity following its introduction in 1935. While many of the sedative-hypnotic barbiturates have been superseded following the discovery of the benzodiazepines, barbiturates still maintain an important role in therapeutics, especially in their use as anesthetics and antiepileptics. The molecular structure of many of the barbiturates and the effects of barbiturates on neuronal systems in vertebrate species are discussed in this chapter.