Diazepam is a long-acting benzodiazepine with anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedative, muscle relaxant, and amnestic properties. The exact sites and mode of action of the benzodiazepines have not been fully elucidated, but the effects of the drugs appear to be mediated through the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The drugs appear to act at the limbic, thalamic, and hypothalamic levels of the CNS, producing anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, skeletal muscle relaxant, and anticonvulsant effects. Benzodiazepines are capable of producing all levels of CNS depression—from mild sedation to hypnosis to coma. Specific binding sites with high affinity for benzodiazepines have been detected in the CNS, and the affinity of these sites for the drugs is enhanced by both GABA and chloride.