Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review

Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review Publisher

Vakili K¹ ; Fathi M¹ ; Ebrahimi R² ; Ahmadian S³ ; Moafi M⁴ ; Ebrahimi MJ⁴ ; Tafazolimoghadam A⁵ ; Davoodi A⁶ ; Eghbaldoost A⁷ ; Eyvani K^{8, 16} ; Ghayyem H¹ ; Jashni Pour M⁹ ; Kosari M¹⁰ ; Niknejad S⁶ Show All Authors

Vakili K¹
Fathi M¹
Ebrahimi R²
Ahmadian S³
Moafi M⁴
Ebrahimi MJ⁴
Tafazolimoghadam A⁵
Davoodi A⁶
Eghbaldoost A⁷
Eyvani K^{8, 16}
Ghayyem H¹
Jashni Pour M⁹
Kosari M¹⁰
Niknejad S⁶
Sanaye Abbasi A⁸
Zarebidoki A¹¹
Andrew M¹²
Trenaman S¹³
Batool Z¹⁴
Sayehmiri F¹⁵
Ebrahimzadeh K¹⁵

Show Affiliations

1. Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2. School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3. School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, 73461, Iran
4. Cell Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5. School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
6. Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, 7461686688, Iran
7. Student Research Committee, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, 4361844981, Iran
8. School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, 4193833697, Iran
9. Educational and Scientific Centre, Institute of Biology and Medicine of Taras, Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kiev, 01033, Ukraine
10. MBBS, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
11. Student Research Committee, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
12. Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
13. College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
14. Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
15. Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
16. Harvard Medical School, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, 02115, MA, United States

Source: Molecular Neurobiology Published:2025

Abstract

The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system is known for its role in cognitive functions and memory processes. However, the activity of GABAA receptors and their associated pathways influence the accumulation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ), a key hallmark in the development and prognosis of research examining the relationship between the use of drugs affecting GABAA receptors and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia. This study aimed to examine the association between GABAA receptor-affecting drugs and the risk of AD and dementia, focusing on benzodiazepines, zolpidem, and anesthetics. This meta-analysis included all English articles on AD, dementia, and GABAA receptor agonist medications published before May 2024. The articles were identified through searches conducted on PubMed and Scopus databases. The extracted data were analyzed using STATA software (version 14.2). Q statistics and the I2 index were used to evaluate heterogeneity, while Egger’s test and funnel plot were utilized to detect publication bias. A total of 19 articles (10 case–control and 9 cohort articles) were eligible for the analysis, involving 2,953,980 patients. The use of GABA agonists was found to have a statistically significant relationship with the development of dementia (RR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02–1.29, I2 = 87.6%) and AD (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.04–1.40, I2 = 97.6%). In the drug-based subgroup, we observed that zolpidem consumption was associated with an increased incidence of AD and dementia (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.08–1.52, I2 = 24.3%), similar to the effects of benzodiazepines (BZDs; RR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04–1.18, I2 = 87.2%). Meta-regression analysis showed that the duration of follow-up, which ranged from 5 to 11 years across the studies, was significantly associated with heterogeneity (P = 0.036). Our findings indicate that the use of zolpidem and BZD is associated with an increased risk of dementia and AD. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

2. The Role of Neuroinflammation in Pv Interneuron Impairments in Brain Networks; Implications for Cognitive Disorders, Reviews in the Neurosciences (2025)

3. Role of Natural Products for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, European Journal of Pharmacology (2021)

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Style	Citing Format
MLA	Vakili K, et al.. "Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review." Molecular Neurobiology, vol. , no. , 2025, pp. -.
APA	Vakili K, Fathi M, Ebrahimi R, Ahmadian S, Moafi M, Ebrahimi MJ, Tafazolimoghadam A, Davoodi A, Eghbaldoost A, Eyvani K, Ghayyem H, Jashni Pour M, Kosari M, Niknejad S, Sanaye Abbasi A, Zarebidoki A, Andrew M, Trenaman S, Batool Z, ... Ebrahimzadeh K (2025). Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review. Molecular Neurobiology, (), -.
Chicago	Vakili K, Fathi M, Ebrahimi R, Ahmadian S, Moafi M, Ebrahimi MJ, Tafazolimoghadam A, et al.. "Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review." Molecular Neurobiology , no. (2025): -.
Harvard	Vakili K et al. (2025) 'Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review', Molecular Neurobiology, (), pp. -.
Vancouver	Vakili K, Fathi M, Ebrahimi R, Ahmadian S, Moafi M, Ebrahimi MJ, et al.. Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review. Molecular Neurobiology. 2025;():-.
BibTex	@article{ author = {Vakili K and Fathi M and Ebrahimi R and Ahmadian S and Moafi M and Ebrahimi MJ and Tafazolimoghadam A and Davoodi A and Eghbaldoost A and Eyvani K and Ghayyem H and Jashni Pour M and Kosari M and Niknejad S and Sanaye Abbasi A and Zarebidoki A and Andrew M and Trenaman S and Batool Z and Sayehmiri F and Ebrahimzadeh K}, title = {Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review}, journal = {Molecular Neurobiology}, volume = {}, number = {}, pages = {-}, year = {2025} }
RIS	TY - JOUR AU - Vakili K AU - Fathi M AU - Ebrahimi R AU - Ahmadian S AU - Moafi M AU - Ebrahimi MJ AU - Tafazolimoghadam A AU - Davoodi A AU - Eghbaldoost A AU - Eyvani K AU - Ghayyem H AU - Jashni Pour M AU - Kosari M AU - Niknejad S AU - Sanaye Abbasi A AU - Zarebidoki A AU - Andrew M AU - Trenaman S AU - Batool Z AU - Sayehmiri F AU - Ebrahimzadeh K TI - Use of Drugs Affecting Gabaa Receptors and the Risk of Developing Alzheimer’S Disease and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Literature Review JO - Molecular Neurobiology VL - IS - SP - EP - PY - 2025 ER -

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