Novel Designer Benzodiazepines: Comprehensive Review of Evolving Clinical and Adverse Effects
, Catherine A. Nix 2,3, Amira S. Odisho 2, Caroline P. Babin 4, Alyssa G. Derouen 4, Salim C. Lutfallah 5, Elyse M. Cornett 6, Kevin S. Murnane 1,3,7, Adam M. Kaye 8 and Alan D. Kaye 2,6,7
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments for: Novel Designer Benzodiazepines: Comprehensive Review of Evolving Clinical and Adverse Effects by Edinoff et al.
The aim of this review was to discuss effects and adverse events of designer benzodiazepines. This review so organized is clear and offers an updated and comprehensive of the effects of DBZs. However, some minor points need to be clarified.
· The pharmacokinetic profile of each benzodiazepine reviewed should be described.
· Authors correctly affirmed that benzodiazepines are widely used to treat status epilepticus. However, some benzodiazepines such as clobazam are also used to treat different epileptic syndrome. This should be described in the manuscript.
· The pharmacodynamic profile of each benzodiazepine reviewed should be described. In detail, these DBZs are full agonist, partial agonist ecc. Moreover, the median effective dose for each DBZ reviewed should be described.
· According to the International League Against Epilepsy, the term anticonvulsant is inadequate. Please, use the up-to-date terminology “antiseizure effects”.
Author Response
omments for: Novel Designer Benzodiazepines: Comprehensive Review of Evolving Clinical and Adverse Effects by Edinoff et al.
The aim of this review was to discuss effects and adverse events of designer benzodiazepines. This review so organized is clear and offers an updated and comprehensive of the effects of DBZs. However, some minor points need to be clarified.
- The pharmacokinetic profile of each benzodiazepine reviewed should be described.
Answer: The profiles as known were added to each one that was discussed in detail.
- Authors correctly affirmed that benzodiazepines are widely used to treat status epilepticus. However, some benzodiazepines such as clobazam are also used to treat different epileptic syndrome. This should be described in the manuscript.
Answer: This description has been added
- The pharmacodynamic profile of each benzodiazepine reviewed should be described. In detail, these DBZs are full agonist, partial agonist ecc. Moreover, the median effective dose for each DBZ reviewed should be described.
Answer: This has been added in combination to their pharmacokinetic profile if that information is available.
- According to the International League Against Epilepsy, the term anticonvulsant is inadequate. Please, use the up-to-date terminology “antiseizure effects”.
Answer: This term has been changed to antiseizure effects
Reviewer 2 Report
This comprehensive review shows severe critical issues especially regarding publication timing: two recent reviews on the same topic were published in 2019 and 2020. Reviews should be done (possibly systematically) as a summary of the literature on a topic when a sufficient amount of new data is reached or at least after a sufficient time since the last published review on the topic.
Other comments concern the use of an outdated bibliography (especially in the first part of the work) and an excessively long and too focused introduction on benzodiazepines, which are not the main target of the review as it is conceived.
Author Response
This comprehensive review shows severe critical issues especially regarding publication timing: two recent reviews on the same topic were published in 2019 and 2020. Reviews should be done (possibly systematically) as a summary of the literature on a topic when a sufficient amount of new data is reached or at least after a sufficient time since the last published review on the topic.
Other comments concern the use of an outdated bibliography (especially in the first part of the work) and an excessively long and too focused introduction on benzodiazepines, which are not the main target of the review as it is conceived.
Answer: Newer sources have been added to this revision as possible.
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
From my point of view this article can be published in the revised form
Reviewer 2 Report
The work continues to present severe criticalities that make it, in my opinion, not eligible for publication. Some of the articles added (75,93,97) are reports / reviews that should not be included in a review. The non-systematic nature of the revision makes the inclusion of some articles not sufficient; rather a narrative review should be written when sufficient time has passed since the last published work on the same subject.
