An evaluation of the amnesic effects of diazepam sedation.

Twenty subjects, 13 female and 7 male, aged 16 to 37 years, were studied to determine the effects on memory of intravenous sedation with diazepam (Valium). Three tests were performed: 1) the Weschler Logical Memory Scale; 2) memory of three geometric shapes; and 3) memory of three objects presented in a drawing. Logical memory items were presented before and after sedation; other tests were presented after sedation. Anterograde amnesia was produced by diazepam sedation. No retrograde amnesia was observed. A significant drug effect was found between the pre-drug and post-drug retention intervals (T+ = 2; P less than 0.005). Post-drug recognition scores were found to be approximately 42% of pre-drug recognition scores. The anterograde amnesia produced with diazepam was probably due to decreased arousal of the subject, and decreased attention to rehearsal of short-term memory stimuli, resulting in a lack of storage of the stimuli.