Benzodiazepines (eg, alprazolam) have been shown to produce anterograde amnesia. Short-term memory is not affected; however, long-term memory is impaired. Researchers believe that this may occur because events are not transferred from short-term to long-term memory and thus are not consolidated into memory storage.
More recent studies have found that benzodiazepines are not associated with the development of dementia. A large cohort study of nearly a quarter million Danish citizens showed no link between the use of benzodiazepines and increased dementia risk. Experts say that the drugs do not appear to increase the risk for such diseases as Alzheimer's disease.
Take a quiz about benzodiazepine use and abuse.
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Cite this: Helmi L. Lutsep. Fast Five Quiz: Memory Loss and Cognitive Impairment - Medscape - Apr 28, 2021.
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