Biomaterial Database

The effects of low doses of diazepam on human performance in group administered tasks. 1978

D M Jones, and M J Lewis, and T L Spriggs

1. The effects of diazepam in 5 mg dosage were assessed on a range of psychological tasks. Seventy-eight healthy subjects were tested in an independent groups design; subjects were randomly assigned to either control, placebo or drug group. Treatments were administered orally under double blind conditions. 2. Auditory vigilance performance was unimpaired, in terms of (a) correct detections, (b) false alarms or (c) the subjects' estimates of the duration of the task. 3. The short term retention of digit strings was impaired by diazepam (P less than 0.05), especially for those digits presented in the middle of the sequence. 4. Searching for a few letters among many was significantly impaired by diazepam (P less than 0.01). 5. Diaepam had no effect on performance at a mental arithmetic task; neither was there a placebo effect. 6. Results were discussed in the light of the characteristics of drug sensitive tasks. It was concluded that characteristics such as feedback of results, monotony, and memory load are more likely to be drug sensitive when in combination than in isolation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008570	Memory, Short-Term	Remembrance of information for a few seconds to hours.	Immediate Recall,Memory, Immediate,Working Memory,Memory, Shortterm,Immediate Memories,Immediate Memory,Immediate Recalls,Memories, Immediate,Memories, Short-Term,Memories, Shortterm,Memory, Short Term,Recall, Immediate,Recalls, Immediate,Short-Term Memories,Short-Term Memory,Shortterm Memories,Shortterm Memory,Working Memories
D003975	Diazepam	A benzodiazepine with anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedative, muscle relaxant, and amnesic properties and a long duration of action. Its actions are mediated by enhancement of GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID activity.	7-Chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one,Apaurin,Diazemuls,Faustan,Relanium,Seduxen,Sibazon,Stesolid,Valium
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001288	Attention	Focusing on certain aspects of current experience to the exclusion of others. It is the act of heeding or taking notice or concentrating.	Focus of Attention,Selective Attention,Social Attention,Attention Focus,Attention, Selective,Attention, Social,Selective Attentions
D013647	Task Performance and Analysis	The detailed examination of observable activity or behavior associated with the execution or completion of a required function or unit of work.	Critical Incident Technique,Critical Incident Technic,Task Performance,Task Performance, Analysis,Critical Incident Technics,Critical Incident Techniques,Incident Technic, Critical,Incident Technics, Critical,Incident Technique, Critical,Incident Techniques, Critical,Performance, Analysis Task,Performance, Task,Performances, Analysis Task,Performances, Task,Task Performances,Task Performances, Analysis,Technic, Critical Incident,Technics, Critical Incident,Technique, Critical Incident,Techniques, Critical Incident