Sedative News and Research

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A sedative is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement.

Study finds benefits of personalized ventilation in ICU care

A seven-year international, multi-centre clinical trial led by London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) and St. Michael's Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, has found that a new ventilation mode called proportional assist ventilation (PAV+™) could improve outcomes for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) who require help breathing.

24 Jul 2025

Low-dose olanzapine reduces chemo-induced nausea with fewer side effects

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are among the most distressing side effects of anti-cancer treatment, particularly for those receiving highly emetogenic regimens such as anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide combinations.

24 Jul 2025

Substance use disorders increase risk of unplanned hospital readmissions

People with any type of substance use disorder (SUD) stand a 24% higher risk of having an unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days of a previous discharge compared with those without the disorder, new UCLA-led research finds.

23 Jul 2025

Novel polysaccharide from Albizzia julibrissin shows promise against pancreatic cancer

Albizzia julibrissin is a widely distributed plant in China. Its dried stem bark has been used in traditional oriental medicine to treat insomnia, diuresis, sthenia, ascaricide, and confusion.

21 Jul 2025

Slower speech response linked to sleepiness in older adults

A new study led by UCLA investigators shows that Verbal Reaction Time (VRT), the amount of time it takes a person to respond verbally, can be a marker of sleepiness in older adults.

9 Jul 2025

Synthetic opioids and designer benzodiazepines linked to driving impairment

No-one could claim to be unaware of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID): drugs can increase the time needed to react, impair coordination, alertness, and cognition, and lower inhibitions, thus encouraging reckless and aggressive driving.

25 Jun 2025

New brain study explains why some pain becomes chronic

A new study reveals that when we experience short-term (acute) pain, the brain has a built-in way to dial down pain signals - like pressing the brakes - to keep them from going into overdrive.

20 Jun 2025

New insights into how inhalational anesthetics induce general anesthesia

Since their anesthetic effects were discovered approximately 180 years ago, inhalational anesthetics have been used for general anesthesia in surgical operations.

18 Jun 2025

AI model significantly improves detection and treatment of delirium

An artificial intelligence (AI) model improved outcomes in hospitalized patients by quadrupling the rate of detection and treatment of delirium.

7 May 2025

Misuse of nitrous oxide linked to rising deaths and hospitalizations

Despite a recent Food and Drug Administration warning against inhaling nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, deaths due to misusing the substance are on the rise in the United States.

2 Apr 2025

Strong synthetic opioids linked to poor postoperative pain experience

The use of powerful synthetic opioids, such as sufentanil and remifentanil, during surgery is linked to a subsequent poor 'pain experience'---a composite of emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects of pain- suggests research published in the open access journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

26 Feb 2025

UVA receives $9.3 million NIH grant for ketamine seizure treatment trial

University of Virginia Brain Institute and School of Medicine researchers have received an initial $9.3 million award from the National Institutes of Health for a $30 million clinical trial to determine if the powerful anesthetic ketamine can save patients from prolonged, life-threatening grand mal seizures that won't respond to other treatments.

14 Feb 2025

Prolonged REM sleep latency linked to Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers

Research indicates longer REM latency is associated with higher Alzheimer's biomarkers, pointing to its potential as an early indicator of neurodegeneration.

29 Jan 2025

Research shows sharp growth in sedative and anxiety medication use disorders in youth

The prevalence of diagnosed disorders from recurrent use of sedative, hypnotic and antianxiety medications in adolescents and young adults has increased sharply since 2001, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

23 Jan 2025

Sleep deprivation in early life increases autism risk

Sleep deprivation in adults has long been proven to cause long-term mental and physical health issues, including, but not limited to, weakened immune systems, weight gain, depression, and increased risk of dementia.

24 Oct 2024

Study reveals significant increase in drug overdoses in Colombia among young women

Overdose rates in Colombia involving illegal opioids, hallucinogens, stimulants and sedative psychotropic medication increased greatly during 2018-2021, mainly caused by overdoses in young women, according to a study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

12 Sep 2024

Study reveals strong associations between sleep problems, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation in teens

Rebecca Robbins, PhD, of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital, is the senior author of a paper published in Psychiatry Research, "Exploring sleep difficulties, alcohol, illicit drugs, and suicidal ideation among adolescents with a history of depression."

2 Aug 2024