DUAL-TASK PERFORMANCE AFTER DIAZEPAM INTAKE - CAN RESOURCE DEPLETION EXPLAIN THE BENZODIAZEPINE-INDUCED AMNESIA

It was tested whether a depletion in resources can account for the ben zodiazepine-induced memory impairment. In two experiments, it was exam ined whether dividing attention had a disproportionately detrimental e ffect on learning semantically related and unrelated word pairs after diazepam intake. Word pairs had to be learned in both a single task co ndition and while performing a visual discrimination task concurrently (dual task condition). Moreover, the complexity of the visual discrim ination task was manipulated systematically. Diazepam (15 mg, orally) or placebo was administered in a double-blind, between-subjects design . Subjects after diazepam intake were clearly impaired in learning unr elated word pairs, but not in learning related word pairs. Dividing at tention In the dual task condition was associated with a reduction in learning unrelated word pairs, but this was not disproportionately red uced after diazepam intake. Moreover, the magnitude of resource deplet ion did not correlate with the severity of the diazepam-induced memory impairment. In general, the pattern of results does not support the h ypothesis that a depletion of resources can explain the benzodiazepine -induced memory impairment.