TRANOUILLIZERS

TRANOUILLIZERS

Some drugs are used to treat psychiatric disorders, i.e.abnormalities of mental funtion . These drugs are known as psychotropic drugs or psychoactive drugs. The drugs which induces a mental state free from agitation and anxiety and renders the patient calm and peaceful are termed as tranquilizers.

Anti-psychotic drugs are used to treat psychoses like schizophrenia, mania, senile dementia and behaviour disorders in children. Tranquilizing agents exerta unique type of selective central nervous depression. They act differently from the barbiturates and other sedatives which act by producing a general central nervous system depression. They give strong sedation without producing sleep and produce a state of indifference and disinterest. They are effective in reducing excitation, agitation, aggressiveness and impulsiveness which are not controlled by the ordinary sedative-hypnotics and central relaxants. -

The Rauwolfia alkaloids, benzoquinone derivatives (benzquinamide), phenothiazine derivatives (chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, piperacetazine, etc.), diphenylmethane derivatives (hydroxyzine, benactyzine) and some other compounds (chlorprothixene, thiothixene, haloperidol, etc.) are employed as tranquilizing agents.