title: Diazepam-induced prospective memory impairment and its relation to retrospective memory, attention, and arousal.
abstract: The amnestic effects of benzodiazepines are well documented on a variety of memory tasks. However, prospective memory (PM), or remembering to execute an action at a future time, has not been studied previously. This study examined the effect of diazepam on word list recall, PM, sustained attention, and subjective ratings of arousal. Forty-eight healthy participants, aged 19-35, received an average of 0.19 mg/kg oral diazepam or placebo in a double-blind manner. Retrospective memory and PM were assessed by free recall of unrelated word lists and by instructing participants to request a hidden belonging at the end of the session, respectively. Sustained attention was measured by multiple trials of a digit cancellation task, and subjective arousal was assessed by self-ratings of drowsiness. Diazepam impaired performance on all measures, including PM. Reduced PM performance was associated with decreased subjective arousal in the diazepam group but was unrelated to sustained attention. This is the first report of the effects of benzodiazepines on prospective remembering, and further supports the view that the arousal/attentional system is composed of partially independent subsystems that have differential relationships to memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3J 1P3. jbr@yorku.ca
authors.forename: Jill B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rich
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Svoboda
authors.forename: Gregory G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D003975:Diazepam