The amnesic action of benzodiazepines in man
Abstract
A qualitative description of the amnesia produced by the benzodiazepines in man is presented. The benzodiazepines exert their greatest effects in tests of long-term episodic memory in which they cause a dose-related impairment in the acquisition of new information, do not appear to affect retention and may facilitate retrieval. Benzodiazepines do not appear to impair semantic memory or the acquisition of skills. Although state-dependent learning may be observed with benzodiazepine treatment it is a small effect and cannot account for most of the observed impairments. The amnesia appears to be characteristic of all benzodiazepines and may be related to the sedative action of these compounds but evidence on the latter point is inconclusive. The importance of the amnesic action in a population of clinically anxious outpatients taking benzodiazepines over an extended period remains to be investigated. The benzodiazepines may provide the cognitive psychologist with a useful tool to investigate the mechanisms of normal memory.
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Longer-term benzodiazepine use is associated with physical dependence, tolerance, loss of efficacy, falls, fractures, and memory disturbance.
“Longer-term use is associated with a number of physical and cognitive risks, including physical dependence, tolerance, loss of efficacy, falls, and fractures ( Donnelly et al., 2017) and memory disturbance (Lister, 1985).”
From Pharmacological principles for safe benzodiazepine and Z-drug dose reduction (2026) · cites this paper as Lister, 1985
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Pharmacological principles for safe benzodiazepine and Z-drug dose reduction
Horowitz, M., Lamberson, N., Brandt, J., Framer, A., Shapiro, B., Sørensen, A., Cadogan, C., Ritvo, A., & Taylor, D. (2026) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291726104887
“Longer-term use is associated with a number of physical and cognitive risks, including physical dependence, tolerance, loss of efficacy, falls, and fractures ( Donnelly et al., 2017) and memory disturbance (Lister, 1985).”
- Authors
- Lister, R. G.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lister, Richard G.
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1985-03
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 87-94
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2081938027
- Cited by
- 448
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 14.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- benzodiazepines, amnesia, episodic memory, memory impairment, semantic memory, skill acquisition, state-dependent learning, sedation, anxiety, memory mechanisms
- MeSH terms
- Amnesia, Benzodiazepines, Humans, Hypnotics and Sedatives, Learning, Memory, Memory, Short-Term, Models, Psychological, Retention, Psychology, Anti-Anxiety Agents
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