Intravenous flumazenil mas administered to two patients with probable
Alzheimer's disease. Neuropsychological tests were administered at bas
eline, immediately after drug administration, and at washout 3 hours l
ater, Cognitive function was observed to decline in both patients with
eventual return to baseline, which indicates an adverse effect of flu
mazenil. Tests of vigilance were most severely affected, which, may ha
ve been related to an inverse agonistic effect of flumazenil in produc
ing symptoms of anxiety.