Pharmaceutical composition and treatment

摘要

Sleep disorders in mammals, such as insomnia and narcolepsy, are treated by administering an effective amount of ethyl 4-acetoxybutanoate, or a closely related homolog thereof. The compounds may also be administered to mammals to cause muscle relaxation and as animal anaesthetics. Moreover the compounds appear to inhibit the release of dopamine in the brain, and are hence useful also in treatment of conditions which are associated with abnormalities of dopamine release and dopamine sensitivities, such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and tardive dyskenesia.