A woman with panic disorder is prescribed a medication that activates benzodiazepine binding. What is the most likely medication?

The medication in question that activates benzodiazepine binding is likely to be Alprazolam. Benzodiazepines are a class of medications commonly used to treat anxiety disorders, including panic disorder. They work by enhancing the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the GABA-A receptor, leading to increased inhibitory action in the central nervous system.

Alprazolam specifically binds to the benzodiazepine site on the GABA-A receptor, which results in anxiolytic, sedative, and muscle relaxant effects. It is particularly effective for panic disorder as it helps to reduce the symptoms experienced during panic attacks.

Other options available are not benzodiazepines or do not have the same mechanism of action. For example, Buspirone is an anxiolytic that works differently by acting as a partial agonist at serotonin receptors and does not activate benzodiazepine binding. Flumazenil is actually a benzodiazepine antagonist and is used to reverse benzodiazepine overdose, while Hydroxyzine is an antihistamine with anxiolytic properties but does not act on the benzodiazepine receptor site either. Therefore, Alprazolam is the medication that matches