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Insomnia drugs and impaired driving ability by Anxiety Insights Friday, 27 March 2009 Julie Johansen A new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health shows a positive link between the amount of the hypnotic zopiclone (Imovane®, Lunesta®, Zimovane®) in the blood and the chance of being assessed as impaired in a clinical examination. The study also included drivers who only showed alcohol in their blood test. "This could be important information in the discussion about establishing legal limits in traffic for sedatives or sleep-inducing medicines as we have for alcohol," says Ingebjørg Gustavsen from the Division for Forensic Toxicology and Drug Research. Hypnotics that contain zopiclone and zolpidem (Ambien®, Damixan®, Stilnox®) are widely used throughout the world and it is reported that between 3 and 7 percent of the adult population uses these drugs. Researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health studied if there is a link between the concentration of zop...

Science UpdateFebruary 14, 2008 Scientists Reverse Depression-Like Behaviors In Mice Without Raising Serotonin Levels New research adds to evidence of potentially better molecular targets in the brain to treat depression and other mental disorders, according to NIMH-funded scientists. The researchers suggest that imbalances in the activity of an enzyme called GSK3ß may be closer to the root cause of mental illnesses than are low serotonin levels. Serotonin, a brain chemical, is the ultimate target of several current medications that work by indirectly increasing it to relieve symptoms. In preliminary findings, the scientists suggest that GSK3ß might be a more fundamental – and thus, perhaps, better and faster – target for new medications. In the new study, even when serotonin levels stayed low, the scientists were able to correct abnormal, mental-illness-like behaviors in mice by blocking GSK3ß. When activated, GSK3ß plays a crucial role inside brain cells by sending chemical signals t...