A series of bioisosteric 4-(aminomethyl)-1-hydroxypyrazole (4-AHP) analogues of muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist, has been synthesized and pharmacologically characterized at native and selected recombinant GABAA receptors. The unsubstituted 4-AHP analogue (2a)(EC50 19 μM, R max 69%) was a moderately potent agonist at human α1β2γ2 GABAA receptors, and in SAR studies substitutions in the 3-and/or 5-position were found to be ...