title: The nature of lorazepam-induced amnesia.
abstract: The effect of lorazepam (2.5 mg) was assessed in two tests of short-term retention (digit-span and Benton Visual Retention), and in verbal learning and picture recognition tests. Lorazepam was without effect in a test of digit-span, but it impaired performance in the Benton Visual Retention and picture recognition tests. In the verbal learning test lorazepam caused a severe anterograde amnesia. Increasing arousal during the presentation of material partially overcame this effect, but also improved the performance of controls. Lorazepam-treated subjects were able to learn a backwards-reading task at a rate no different from controls. The deficits caused by lorazepam are similar to those that have been observed in patients with the amnesic syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011932:Reading
chemical_list: D008140:Lorazepam