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Benzodiazepines alter acquisition and retention of an inhibitory avoidance response in mice

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Abstract

These experiments were performed to examine the effects of graded doses of diazepam, flurazepam, or lorazepam given to Swiss-Webster mice either 30 min prior to training or immediately after training in a one-trial inhibitory (passive) avoidance task. A 350 μA footshock was administered following entry into a darkened compartment and retention was tested three days later. Doses of 10.0 mg/kg diazepam and 20.0 mg/kg lorazepam given before training significantly impaired acquisition, while 1.0 mg/kg flurazepam, given immediately after training, produced retrograde amnesia. These results indicate that benzodiazepines affect memory processes and that various drugs of the benzodiazepine family differentially affect acquisition and memory consolidation.

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Jensen, R.A., Martinez, J.L., Vasquez, B.J. et al. Benzodiazepines alter acquisition and retention of an inhibitory avoidance response in mice. Psychopharmacology 64, 125–126 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427358

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427358

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