Jo

Benzodiazepines produce impairment of cognitive functioning and psychomotor performance e.g. reaction time, vigilance, arousal, judgement, reasoning, speed and accuracy of information processing, visual spatial ability, co-ordination, short-term and post drug long-term memory, 'blackouts' and learned tasks.

These effects are independent of abuse, dependency, non-dependency, normal, healthy, young or old subjects. Impairment increases with chronic use. Development of tolerance to these effects is very slow.

CT brain scans show a difference in ventricular cerebral spinal fluid space dimensions between benzodiazepine users and non-users, and also between high and low benzodiazepine users.

The functional brain damage causes increased morbidity, increased mortality and social deterioration.

Subjects are generally not aware of their reduced capacity or the fact that they are not functioning well in every day life.

In general much of the impairment is slowly reversible. Some aspects show improvement after six years, some are semi-permanent or permanent.