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Low-dose oral lorazepam administration in Alzheimer subjects and age-matched controls

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Abstract

Ten patients with Alzheimer's disease and ten age-matched normal controls were studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled acute trial of 1 mg PO lorazepam to test the effects of low-dose benzodiazepine on memory and behavior in a mostly older population. Cognitive effects differed somewhat between Alzheimer patients and normal controls, with Alzheimer patients revealing predominantly “attentional” impairments and age-matched controls showing possible “disinhibition.” Specifically, Alzheimer patients made more omission errors on a continuous performance task, whereas controls made more commission and intrusion errors with lorazepam versus placebo. This low dose of lorazepam (1 mg), which was associated with mild but statistically significant sedation in both groups, also produced no significant decrease in recent memory or in access to semantic memory. These cognitive findings contrast markedly to the reported effects of scopolamine on recent memory; therefore, supporting the idea that cholinergic interruption has a more specific effect on human memory and on learning than that of low-dose benzodiazepines. Further studies with a wider dose range of benzodiazepines are necessary to evaluate the possibility of differential sensitivity between Alzheimer patients and normal elderly controls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit on Geriatric Psychopharmacology, Laboratory of Clinical Science, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH Clinical Center, 10-3D41, 20892, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Trey Sunderland, Pierre N. Tariot, Paul A. Newhouse, Karen E. Thompson, Brian A. Lawlor & Edward A. Mueller

  2. Department of Psychology, George Washington University, 20052, Washington, DC, USA

    Herbert Weingartner

  3. Laboratory of Cerebral Imaging, National Institute of Mental Health, 20892, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Robert M. Cohen

  4. Monroe Community Hospital, University of Rochester School of Medicine, 14603, Rochester, NY, USA

    Pierre N. Tariot

  5. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 20307, Washington, DC, USA

    Paul A. Newhouse

Authors
  1. Trey Sunderland
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  2. Herbert Weingartner
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  3. Robert M. Cohen
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  4. Pierre N. Tariot
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  5. Paul A. Newhouse
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  6. Karen E. Thompson
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  7. Brian A. Lawlor
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  8. Edward A. Mueller
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Sunderland, T., Weingartner, H., Cohen, R.M. et al. Low-dose oral lorazepam administration in Alzheimer subjects and age-matched controls. Psychopharmacology 99, 129–133 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00634466

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00634466

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