Question

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that serve as positiveallosteric modulators of the GABA_A receptor by bindingto their own "site" on the aforementioned receptor. By doing thisthey produce euphoria and a wide range of effects characteristic ofCentral Nervous System (CNS) depression (e.g. anxiolysis, sedation,amnesia, mental confusion, muscle relaxant effects).

I know that an interaction with the mesolimbic dopamine("reward") pathway would have to come in somewhere but where? Ialso know that GABAergic neurons downregulate activity in themesolimbic dopamine pathway and that this is how opioids andcannabinoids induce euphoria -- they inhibit the release of GABAfrom presynaptic neurons in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway. I justfind that this would be confusing in the case of benzodiazepinessince they increase GABA activity, presumably also in themesolimbic dopamine pathway thus producing dysphoria and noteuphoria.

I just would like to know how they manage to induceeuphoria in full (what they do to increase activity in themesolimbic dopamine pathway that thus leads toeuphoria)

Please cite journal articles to substantiate your claims.