Trend of Memory Recovery After Benzodiazepine Overdose



Eizadimood N¹ ; Sabzghabaee AM¹ ; Montazeri K¹ ; Gheshlaghi F¹ ; Yaraghi A¹ ; Nazemorraya B¹ ; Kazemi S¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Iranian Journal of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Published:2007

Abstract

Because of difference in the toxicokinetic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of drugs and with respect to the high rate of benzodiazepine abuse in suicidal attempts, the trend of possible anterograde amnesia after recovery from benzodiazepine overdose were evaluated in Iranian patients. This was a prospective descriptive/analytic clinical trial, which was conducted, in Noor general teaching hospital. Patients 18-50 years old, who attempted suicide with long acting benzodiazepines, were tested for memory at 3 times: immediately after waking up (time 0, t0), 12 (time 12, t12) and 24 hours (time 24, t24) after time 0. Memory was assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale. The mean of memory score was 44.6±7.1 immediately after waking up (t0). This score was 76.9±3.5 and 93.3±8.18 in t12 and t24 respectively. The difference between the means of memory scores of t0 and t12 was statistically significant and this was the same between t12 and t24. There was a statistically significant relationship between memory score and drug dosage. It is concluded the memory status following waking up in benzodiazepine overdose is different in the course of recovery and ascending in an approximately linear way. Copyright © 2006 by Razi Institute for Drug Research (RIDR).