General anesthetic drugs interact with many receptors in the nervous system, but only a handful of these interactions are critical for producing anesthesia. Over the last 20 years, neuropharmacologists have revealed that one of the most important target sites for general anesthetics is the GABA(A) receptor. In this review we will discuss what is known about anesthetic - GABA(A) receptor interactions.
Keywords: Barbiturates.; Desflurane; Etomidate; GABAA Receptor; General Anesthetic; Isoflurane; Propofol; Sevoflurane.