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The use of neuroleptics, sedatives and anesthetics for anxiolytic therapy in animals

An important area for improving antidepressant treatment is the expansion of the indications for neuroleptics, anesthetics and sedatives. All these drugs have pronounced neurotropic effects. The aim of our work is to study the published scientifc evidence on the potential of neuroleptics, anesthetics and sedatives for anxiolytic therapy. A systematic literature review was used to search for publications on the topic of the study. The PubMed database (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) was used to search for scientifc articles. The literature data indicates that ketamine is used to treat recurrent anxiety in both humans and animals. It provides rapid and sustained relief of anxiety symptoms in a variety of its clinical presentations. The anxiolytic effect occurs within the frst 12 hours after administration and remains effective for 1 to 2 weeks. The anxiolytic effect of ketamine is due to its effect on hippocampal neurotropic factor activity. Diazepam can signifcantly reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as neuroinflammation in brain-injured mice. It causes a dose-dependent increase in motor activity. In combination with metformin, diazepam is the preferred treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus in stressed animals. Intermittent use of diazepam is useful to avoid the development of physical dependence when the drug is used for a long period of time. Acepromazine is promising to be used for anxiolytic effect in animals. A combined protocol with acepromazine signifcantly reduced signs of stress, anxiety and aggression during veterinary visits and had an anxiolytic effect in dogs. Acepromazine reduces the negative effects of transport stress in wild ungulates. Dexmedetomidine is used for sedation in both human and veterinary medicine. This drug is a promising candidate for the experimental treatment of stress-related diseases such as anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder. We believe that further research in this area should be conducted in controlled comparative studies to determine the optimal doses and duration of administration of potential anxiolytics, considering the species, age, sex, physiological state and other relevant clinical parameters of the animals studied. Therefore, systematic and detailed studies will help us not only to understand the effectiveness, but also to provide safe and individualized treatment. This research can improve our understanding of the use of anxiolytics in veterinary practice, which is of key importance for improving the quality of animal welfare. In our opinion, the use of anesthetics, neuroleptics and sedatives, which are now widely used for sedation or general anesthesia, opens new possibilities for the treatment of behavioral and anxiety disorders in animals.

Key words: anxiety, veterinary medicine, neuroleptics, sedatives, ketamine, acepromazine, diazepam, medetomidine.

LUKYANENKO K. https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9869-6375


POROSHINSKA O. https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-9882-1963


SHAGANENKO R. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5848-1367


KOZII N.


SHMAYUN S. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6458-6336


SHAGANENKO V. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3484-2962


KOSHELEV O. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6686-5985


POLISHCHUK A. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0691-352X


KOZIY V. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8221-6678


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Scientific Journal of Veterinary Medicine 1'2024