| abstract |
The present invention encompasses compounds of formula (I), and the pharmaceutically acceptable non-toxic salts thereof wherein: where X represents hydrogen or lower alkyl; W represents an aryl group unsubstituted or substituted with various organic and inorganic substituents; (a) represents (b); (c); (d) or (e) or (a) represents (f), where A, B, C, D, and E represent carbon or nitrogen substituted with hydrogen or various organic and inorganic substituents; and n is 0, 1, or 2; Y, R3?, R4?, R12?, and R13? are various organic and inorganic substituents. These compounds are highly selective agonists, antagonists or inverse agonists for GABAa brain receptors or prodrugs thereof and are useful in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety, sleep, and seizure disorders, overdose with benzodiazepine drugs, and enhancement of memory. |