cholinergic drug

any pharmacological agent that stimulates activity in the parasympathetic nervous system because it potentiates the activity of acetylcholine or has effects similar to this neurotransmitter. Cholinergic drugs include such alkaloids as physostigmine and pilocarpine; bethanechol; and anticholinesterases (cholinesterase inhibitors; e.g., edrophonium, neostigmine, and pyridostigmine). They are used for such purposes as treating myasthenia gravis, glaucoma, and urinary retention. Also called parasympathetic drug; parasympathomimetic drug.

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Psychology term of the day

January 24th 2025

butabarbital

n. an intermediate-acting barbiturate used in the treatment of insomnia and for daytime and preoperative sedation. Like other barbiturates, it is a nonselective CNS depressant and therefore quite toxic in overdose. Because tolerance to its sedative and hypnotic effects accrues much more rapidly than tolerance to its CNS depressant effects, its therapeutic index drops and its potential lethality increases as the dose is increased. These factors, plus its potential for abuse, have caused a decline in its clinical use. U.S. trade name: Butisol Sodium.