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The effects of diazepam on self-informed arousal and sustained attention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

JC Sierra  and
G Buela-Casal
JC Sierra
Affiliation:
Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, 18071Granada, Spain
G Buela-Casal
Affiliation:
Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, 18071Granada, Spain
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Summary

The use of benzodiazepines seems to be associated with a deficit in the levels of arousal and attention during vigil. A number of studies have found residual effects a few hours after the intake of these drugs. This paper assesses the effects of a single dose of 10 mg diazepam on self-informed arousal (as evaluated with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale) and sustained attention (as evaluated with the Toulouse Piéron test) the morning after oral intake (11 hours later). Potential differences in the residual effects of benzodiazepines on men and women were also examined. A sample of 42 healthy young university students (21 female, 21 male) was exposed to three counterbalanced experimental conditions (control, placebo, diazepam). Diazepam only caused a reduction in arousal in women, and this deficit was similar to that caused by the intake of a placebo.

Keywords

diazepamself-informed arousalsustained attention
Type
Original articles
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 11 , Issue 7 , 1996 , pp. 353 - 356
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier, Paris 1996

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