Razzle
03-10-2012, 07:51 AM
I found this new research by Dr. Catherine M.Pittman - one of the foremost brain researchers in the country, to be interesting.
We are finding through both animal and human research that the medication class of benzodiazepines may actually prevent learning, both neuronal and cognitive and may prevent long term anxiety recovery. Our work has shown that the neuronal process for learning and also the process for unlearning (called extinction) is slowed or prevented by this class of medications.
Neurons must fire to rewire: this is basic to all neuroplasticity and learning. When benzo sedate the normal neuronal firing they preserve the status quo including anxiety, the myriad of anxiety symptoms and cognitive learning. We also know that benzodiazepines restrict the brains ability to make new connections to make alternative responses. This failure to allow anxiety recovery is a process of sedating the amygdala, the fear center of the brain, so that it can not benefit from present anxiety therapies.
We are also finding that benzodiazepines may preserve the physiological feed back loops that cause the diverse physical symptoms, and suspect is may have similar actions in conditions such as fibromyalgia,IBS and stress disorders.
It has long been reported that patients on this class of drugs do not do as well in anxiety therapy as patients who are drug free. We now have conclusive research to show the physiology behind these clinician reports.
Based on this new research we suggest physicians only prescribe this class of medications for one week or less and then for occasional use not to exceed a few doses per month.
We are finding through both animal and human research that the medication class of benzodiazepines may actually prevent learning, both neuronal and cognitive and may prevent long term anxiety recovery. Our work has shown that the neuronal process for learning and also the process for unlearning (called extinction) is slowed or prevented by this class of medications.
Neurons must fire to rewire: this is basic to all neuroplasticity and learning. When benzo sedate the normal neuronal firing they preserve the status quo including anxiety, the myriad of anxiety symptoms and cognitive learning. We also know that benzodiazepines restrict the brains ability to make new connections to make alternative responses. This failure to allow anxiety recovery is a process of sedating the amygdala, the fear center of the brain, so that it can not benefit from present anxiety therapies.
We are also finding that benzodiazepines may preserve the physiological feed back loops that cause the diverse physical symptoms, and suspect is may have similar actions in conditions such as fibromyalgia,IBS and stress disorders.
It has long been reported that patients on this class of drugs do not do as well in anxiety therapy as patients who are drug free. We now have conclusive research to show the physiology behind these clinician reports.
Based on this new research we suggest physicians only prescribe this class of medications for one week or less and then for occasional use not to exceed a few doses per month.