ReviewInternational journal of methods in psychiatric research2021
Benzodiazepine high-doses: The need for an accurate definition.
Review in International journal of methods in psychiatric research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- The Relationship of Early Sleep Improvement With Response to Pharmacotherapy in Unipolar Psychotic Depression.Journal of clinical psychopharmacologyTrial
- Benzodiazepine Use and Mortality Risk: A Nationwide Cohort Study on New Benzodiazepine Users With a 5-Year Follow-Up.Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Association between Benzodiazepine and Dementia Risk in Treating Depression after Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.Yonsei medical journal · 2025Article
- Continuous Flumazenil Infusion and Time to Consciousness Recovery in Benzodiazepine Poisoning: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Forensic toxicology of benzodiazepines: neuropharmacological effects, analytical challenges, and emerging detection strategies.Frontiers in toxicology · 2025Review
- Potentiation of the depressant effect of alcohol by flunitrazepam in rats: an electrocorticographic, respiratory and electrocardiographic study.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2024Article
- Characteristics of high-dose benzodiazepine use: nationwide cohort study on new benzodiazepine users with 5-year follow-up.BJPsych open · 2024Article
- A Review of Drug Abuse, Misuse, and Related Laboratory Challenges.Current drug safety · 2024Review
- Antimanic Efficacy, Tolerability, and Acceptability of Clonazepam: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Benzodiazepines in complex biological matrices: Recent updates on pretreatment and detection methods.Journal of pharmaceutical analysis · 2023Review
- Addiction of High Dose of Benzodiazepine: Verona Detox Approach With Flumazenil.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Benzodiazepine high-doses: The need for an accurate definition.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesA clear definition of what we understand of high-dose misuse or of a 'markedly increased dose' (as stated by the DSM-5) is important and past definitions may be inadequate. The aim of this review is to describe the different definitions used and to test these definitions for their accuracy.
methodsA narrative PubMed literature review was conducted based on articles published between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2020 describing benzodiazepines (in MeSH Terms or MeSH Major Topic) and high-dose (or high-dosage). Specific definitions were applied to a population sample to show how definitions affect high-dose benzodiazepine prevalence.
resultsMultiples of an equivalent-diazepam dose or of the World Health Organization 'defined daily dosage' were used more frequently than the overstep of the recommended maximum therapeutic dosage as a cut-off point.
conclusionHigh-dose use is rare but the prevalence in the general population varies among studies, mainly due to different definitions, making both clinical and epidemiological comparisons between studies difficult. Defining a high-dose user as a person who takes at least a higher dose than the maximum usual therapeutic dose over a defined period of time therefore appears to be clinically more consistent.
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