Memory functions, alertness and mood of long-term benzodiazepine users: a preliminary investigation of the effects of a normal daily dose
Abstract
The effects of a normal daytime dose of a benzodiazepine (BZ) on memory functions and mood were assessed in 20 out-patients who had taken BZs regularly for an average of 10 years. The results implied that these chronic users may have developed tolerance differentially to the sedative, anxiolytic and amnesic effects of one dose of BZ. A daytime dose did not produce subjective sedation. Lack of change in psychomotor performance and certain memory measures may either show tolerance or imply that the drug counteracts a possible practice effect. Anxiety levels decreased markedly after a daily dose, but this does not necessarily imply a purely pharmacological effect. Memory impairments were apparent in terms of increased susceptibility to proactive interference. This impairment was significantly correlated with the dosage of BZ taken.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Cites
The use of analogue scales in rating subjective feelings
BOND, A., & LADER, M. (1974) · British Journal of Medical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8341.1974.tb02285.x · Cited by 1,972 · see citing works
Benzodiazepines, memory and mood: a review
Valerie Curran, H. (1991) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/bf02316856 · Cited by 401 · see citing works
The Neuropsychology of Memory: Parallel Findings in Humans and Nonhuman Primatesa
ZOLA‐MORGAN, S., & SQUIRE, L. R. (1990) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1990.tb48905.x · Cited by 318 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Cognitive Effects of Long-Term Benzodiazepine Use: A Meta-Analysis
Barker, M. J., Greenwood, K. M., Jackson, M., & Crowe, S. F. (2004) · CNS Drugs · doi:10.2165/00023210-200418010-00004 · Cited by 552 · see citing works
Paterniti, S., Dufouil, C., & Alpérovitch, A. (2002) · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1097/00004714-200206000-00009 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
Persistence of cognitive effects after withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use: a meta-analysis
Barker, M. (2004) · Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology · doi:10.1016/s0887-6177(03)00096-9 · Cited by 307 · see citing works
“Test Cognitive category Reference Critical Flicker Fusion Speed of processing Curran, Hindmarch, Wattis, and Shillingford (1990) Digit-Symbol-Substitution Test Psychomotor speed Wechsler (1981)”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialGriffiths, R. R., & Weerts, E. M. (1997) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s002130050422 · Cited by 260 · see citing works
The Residual Medium and Long-term Cognitive Effects of Benzodiazepine Use: An Updated Meta-analysis
Crowe, S. F., & Stranks, E. K. (2018) · Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology · doi:10.1093/arclin/acx120 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
Nguyễn, N. T., Fakra, É., Pradel, V., Jouve, É., Alquier, C., Guern, M. L., Micallef, J., & Blin, O. (2006) · Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental · doi:10.1002/hup.757 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Toxicity and Adverse Consequences of Benzodiazepine Use
Ashton, H. (1995) · Psychiatric Annals · doi:10.3928/0048-5713-19950301-09 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Curran, H. V., Bond, A., O'Sullivan, G., Bruce, M., Marks, I., Lelliot, P., Shine, P., & Lader, M. (1994) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291700029056 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
“A comparison of chronic BZ users found some evidence that chronic lorazepam users were impaired on an implicit memory task compared with chronic diazepam users (Curran, 1992).”
BackgroundSelf-citationAn evaluation of persisting cognitive effects after withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use
BARKER, M. J., GREENWOOD, K. M., JACKSON, M., & CROWE, S. F. (2005) · Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society · doi:10.1017/s1355617705050332 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“However, previous research has suggested that long-term use of benzodiazepines is related to impairments in memory (Birzele, 1992; Curran, 1992; Curran et al., 1994; Massin-Krauss et al., 2002; Mintzer et al., 2001; Tata et al., 1994), attention and concentration (Birzele, 1992; Golombok, 1989; Golombok et al.”
BackgroundEffects of lorazepam upon recollective experience in recognition memory
Curran, H. V., Gardiner, J. M., Java, R. I., & Allen, D. (1993) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/bf02251297 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
“Further, a study of patients who had taken BZs for an average of 10 years found users of lorazepam were impaired on an implicit memory task compared with users of diazepam ( Curran 1992 ).”
Self-citationBuffett-Jerrott, S. E., Stewart, S. H., & Teehan, M. D. (1998) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s002130050680 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“Although chronic benzodiazepine users become tolerant to the sedative and attentional effects of benzodiazepines, they continue to suffer from memory impairments and it is likely that these difficulties have severe implications for their everyday functioning ( Curran 1992 ).”
BackgroundStewart, S. H., Rioux, G. F., Connolly, J. F., Dunphy, S. C., & Teehan, M. D. (1996) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s002130050119 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“More specifically, several studies showed that one BZ ‐ lorazepam ‐ impaired performance on implicit memory measures (e.g., Brown et al. 1989; Knopman 1991; Curran 1992; Curran and Gorenstein 1993).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialBuffett-Jerrott, S. E., Stewart, S. H., Bird, S. J., & Teehan, M. D. (1998) · Journal of Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1177/026988119801200403 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Pomara, N., Lee, S.-H., Bruno, D., Silber, T., Greenblatt, D., Petkova, E., & Sidtis, J. (2014) · Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2014.08.014 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Amnestic and anxiolytic effects of alprazolam in oral surgery patients
Coldwell, S. E., Milgrom, P., Getz, T., & Ramsay, D. S. (1997) · Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery · doi:10.1016/s0278-2391(97)90280-9 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Conditions under which lorazepam can facilitate retrieval.
File, S., Fluck, E., & Joyce, E. (1999) · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1097/00004714-199908000-00011 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Stewart, S. H., Westra, H. A., Thompson, C. E., & Conrad, B. E. (2000) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1023/a:1005403025084 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“…history of medication use, as well additionally measuring and/or controlling patients’ use of medications prior to testing on the Stroop (e.g., Curran, 1992), to examine potential interactions between medication use chronicity and the acute effects of the drugs on patients’ Stroop task…”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialWestra, H. A., Stewart, S. H., Teehan, M. D., Johl, K., Dozois, D. J. A., & Hill, T. R. (2004) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1023/b:cotr.0000021540.15135.45 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Cognitive effects of benzodiazepine use: a review
Barker, M., Jackson, M., Greenwood, K. M., & Crowe, S. F. (2003) · Australian Psychologist · doi:10.1080/00050060310001707217 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Liu, L.-Z., Jian, P.-Y., Zhou, Y.-F., Zhou, J., Jia, L., Tang, M., Zhang, R., & Tang, Y.-Q. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.595623 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“(51) observed the long-term BZD users’ resilience of the negative cognition effect by BZD.”
BackgroundNon-Benzodiazepine Pharmacotherapy of Anxiety And Panic in Substance Abusing Patients
Longo, L. P. (1998) · Psychiatric Annals · doi:10.3928/0048-5713-19980301-10 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Dissociation between perceptual processing and priming in long-term lorazepam users
Giersch, A., & Vidailhet, P. (2005) · The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1017/s1461145705006322 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“To the best of our knowledge, only one study has looked specifically at the long-term effects of lorazepam on explicit memory and perceptual priming (Curran, 1992), and its results showed that chronic intake of lorazepam impaired word-stem completion when testing time coincided with the theoretical peak plasma concent…”
BackgroundAcute tolerance and reversal of the motor control effects of midazolam.
Coldwell, S., Kaufman, E., Milgrom, P., Kharasch, E., Chen, P., Mautz, D., & Ramsay, D. (1998) · Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior · doi:10.1016/s0091-3057(97)00458-9 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Atypical behavioural effects of lorazepam: Clues to the design of novel therapies?
Giersch, A., Boucart, M., Elliott, M. A., & Vidailhet, P. (2010) · Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2010.01.004 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Of these, Curran (1992) used an elegant method of testing subjects as they withdrew from chronic treatment with benzodiaze-pines.”
The Current Role of Long-Term Benzodiazepines for the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety
(2015) · Osteopathic Family Physician · doi:10.1016/ofp.v7i1.364 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Impaired cognition and attention in adults: pharmacological management strategies
Allain, H., Akwa, Y., Lacomblez, L., Lieury, A., & Bentué‐Ferrer, D. (2007) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/nedt.2007.3.1.103 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“For example, in the treatment of anxiety, benzodiazepines (enhancers of GABAergic neurotransmission), can greatly alter recall after an acute administration, whereas following a chronic treatment, no memory impairment seems to occur, due to a tolerance phenomena (Curran 1991, 1992).”
BackgroundMeasuring disability in subjects with anxiety disorders
Placchi, M. (1997) · European psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0924-9338(97)89092-x · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Long‐term benzodiazepine use: Problems for the criminal justice system
Redman, J. R. (1994) · Psychiatry Psychology and Law · doi:10.1080/13218719409524823 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Effects of Long-Term Consumption of Anxiolytics, Antidepressants, and Hypnotics on Working Memory
Cansino, S., Torres-Trejo, F., Estrada-Manilla, C., & RUIZ-VELASCO, S. (2026) · Experimental Aging Research · doi:10.1080/0361073x.2026.2652815
“Chronic benzodiazepine users for 10 years (range 7 months to 28 years) (Curran, 1992) and 11 years (range 2 months to 33 years) (Giersch & Vidailhet, 2006) showed working memory deficits.”
Pattern of benzodiazepine use among death cases in Republic of North Macedonia
Bujaroska, M. P., Bozhinoska, Z., Bitoljanu, N., Ivanovska, T. P., Stankov, A., Poposka, V., & Panovska, T. K. (2021) · Macedonian Pharmaceutical Bulletin · doi:10.33320/maced.pharm.bull.2021.67.02.007
“BZDs that occurs even in patients who use oral therapeutic doses, but this effect was more frequently observed in heavy alcohol drinkers (Curran, 1992; Nicholls et al., 1993).”
BackgroundDrugs: psychotropic medication
Scholey, A., Parrot, A., & Kennedy, D. (2007) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511543579.164
Les méthodes de la neuropsychologie
Danion, J., Vidailhet, P., & Giersch, A. (2001) · Questions de personne · doi:10.3917/dbu.eusta.2001.01.0265
Memory Disorders and Addiction
Crome, P., Bloor, R., & Crome, I. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_117
- Authors
- Curran, H. V.
- Affiliations
- Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
- Corresponding author
- Curran, H. Valerie
- ORCID
- Curran, H. Valerie
- Venue
- Journal of Psychopharmacology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1992-01
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 69-75
- ISSN
- 0269-8811 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7285
- OpenAlex
- W2115622198
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.89
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- benzodiazepines, memory impairment, proactive interference, tolerance (pharmacology and immunology), sedation, alertness, mood, anxiety, practice effects, psychomotor performance, drug dosing
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
