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Lorazepam and diazepam effects on memory acquisition in priming tasks
P Vidailhet1, J M Danion, F Kauffmann-Muller
1Département de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires, Strasbourg, France.
Psychopharmacology
|July 1, 1994
Summary
Lorazepam impairs the acquisition of new information, affecting memory and priming. Surprisingly, diazepam also showed similar effects on priming when learned after drug intake, suggesting shared impacts on memory acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Benzodiazepines like lorazepam and diazepam are known to affect memory.
- Previous research indicates lorazepam impairs perceptual priming and explicit memory.
- The specific impact of lorazepam on information acquisition requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether lorazepam's negative effects on memory are due to impaired information acquisition.
- To compare the effects of lorazepam and diazepam on perceptual priming and free recall.
- To determine if lorazepam affects information acquisition at peak drug concentration.
Main Methods:
- 60 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to placebo, lorazepam, or diazepam groups.
- Participants completed perceptual priming tasks (picture-fragment, word-stem completion) and a free-recall task.
- Drug effects on information learned before and after administration were assessed.
Main Results:
- Both lorazepam and diazepam altered free-recall performance.
- Lorazepam impaired priming when information was acquired post-administration, indicating acquisition deficits.
- Diazepam also reduced priming for information acquired after drug intake, suggesting similar effects.
Conclusions:
- Lorazepam impairs the acquisition of information, contributing to memory deficits.
- The study suggests lorazepam and diazepam may have similar effects on priming measures under certain conditions.
- Perceptual impairments do not fully explain lorazepam's effect on priming.