Benzodiazepines are defined by their chemical structure (they contain both a benzene ring and a diazepine group), but they also have a pharmacological profile in common: they bind to the benzodiazepine site on the GABAA receptor and serve as a positive allosteric modulator for the aforementioned receptor. By so doing they suppress CNS activity and thus posses amnesic, sedative, muscle relaxant and anxiolytic effects. They can also induce euphoria and physical dependence.
My question is this, "Do benzodiazepines possess an analgesic effect distinct from their sedative and amnesic effects?"
