TRIAZOLAM IMPAIRS DELAYED RECALL BUT NOT ACQUISITION OF VARIOUS EVERYDAY MEMORY TASKS IN HUMANS

A double-blind test battery was administered to 24 human subjects (8 c ontrol, 16 drug) to assess the effects of 0.125 mg triazolam (oral) on memory encoding and retention across delay intervals ranging from sec onds to 1 week after presentation. Although the drug reduced immediate psychomotor performance, it did not impair recall of previously learn ed information, nor did it significantly impair encoding of new inform ation. The drug enhanced immediate recall of the location and identity of playing cards, without affecting 4-h delayed recall. The drug trea tment impaired correct recall of object names after a delay of 20 min. At 4 h delay, the drug impaired olfactory recognition and free-recall of object names. At both 1 day and 1 week delay, the drug impaired re call of biographical information and correct identification of picture -photographer pair associations. The drug also impaired the daily impr ovement of the drug group as compared with the control group in a geom etric puzzle solving task. The time course of these memory impairments compares well with the known effects of triazolam on long-term potent iation (LTP), a candidate biological mechanism underlying telencephali c memory formation and expression. (C) 1997 Academic Press.