The effect of diazepam on patients' memory.

Ten patients who were prescribed daily doses of diazepam for the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, or psychosomatic symptoms were assessed repeatedly on measures of short-term and long-term memory on and off the drug. Both kinds of memory, especially the latter, appeared detrimentally affected by the drug. However, dosage seemed to be inversely related to the degree of memory impairment. In general, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that diazepam interferes with the memory consolidation process. The negative relationship between drug dosage and degree of memory impairment might be due to habituation toward this particular side effect by heavier drug users. It is suggested that on theoretical grounds, the use of diazepam in conjunction with the behavioral psychotherapies may be contraindicated.