title: Midazolam amnesia and retrieval from semantic memory: Developing methods to test theories of implicit memory.
abstract: Studies of organic anterograde amnesia have been central to the development of theories of implicit memory. Pharmacological amnesia provides an additional method for exploring implicit memory, allowing for the experimental manipulation of amnesia and the testing of more participants. A significant concern with pharmacological amnesia is whether its cognitive effects are specific to explicit memory. The current research examines the effects of the benzodiazepine, midazolam, on retrieval from semantic memory and encoding in explicit memory. We focus on midazolam because it holds significant advantages over other benzodiazepines in inducing pharmacological amnesia and prior research suggests it may be useful for testing theories of implicit memory. Our results demonstrate that midazolam does not impair accuracy of retrieval from semantic categories, even when it produces anterograde amnesia for retrieved category items on a later recall test. These results suggest ways midazolam can be used to help test theories of implicit memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA. ellioth@gwu.edu
authors.forename: Elliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hirshman
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henthorn
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Passannante
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000647:Amnesia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008874:Midazolam / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012660:Semantics
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008874:Midazolam