Which specific side effect profile is generally more pronounced due to Diazepam's action via the GABA-A enhancement?
Pronounced risk of somnolence, drowsiness, and cognitive impairment.
Because diazepam works by broadly enhancing GABA effects through the GABA-A receptors throughout the CNS, it tends to carry a higher risk for widespread side effects related to generalized depression of brain function. Specifically, this action is linked to a more pronounced potential for somnolence (sleepiness), significant drowsiness, and measurable cognitive impairment, especially when patients are receiving higher doses or when the drug is used for anxiety management. While baclofen also causes sedation due to CNS dampening, the characteristic anxiolytic and hypnotic effects associated with benzodiazepines often result in a different, and sometimes more pronounced, sedation profile for diazepam.
