Skip to main content
Log in

Effects of scopolamine, trimipramine and diazepam on explicit memory and repetition priming in healthy volunteers

  • Rapid Communications
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effects of scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug, of trimipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant with both anticholinergic and sedative properties, of diazepam and a placebo, on explicit memory and repetition priming were assessed using a free-recall task and a word-stem completion task. Forty-eight healthy volunteers took part in this double-blind study. Diazepam provoked a dissociation between free recall, which was profoundly impaired, and word completion, which was spared. No significant changes in memory performances were observed in the scopolamine group; however, a significant correlation between explicit and implicit memory performances was observed in this group. At the low dose used, the effects of trimipramine on memory were mild. The results suggest that the cholinergic system is involved in the priming effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alvarez FJ, Casas E, Carvasal A, Velasco A (1986) Effects of antidepressants on histamine H1 and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in guinea-pig ileum. J Pharmacol (Paris) 17:149–154

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caine ED, Weingartner H, Ludlow C, Cudahy EA, Wehry S (1981) Qualitative analysis of scopolamine-induced amnesia. Psychopharmacology 74:74–80

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Danion JM, Zimmermann MA, Willard-Schroeder D, Grangé D, Singer L (1989) Diazepam induces a dissociation between explicit and implicit memory. Psychopharmacology 99:238–243

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eich E (1984) Memory for unattended events: remembering with and without awareness. Mem Cognit 12:105–111

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fang JC, Hinrichs JV, Ghoneim MM (1987) Diazepam and memory: evidence for spared memory function. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 28:347–352

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kopelman MD, Corn TH (1988) Cholinergic “blockade” as a model for cholinergic depletion. Brain 111:1079–1110

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nissen MJ, Knopman DS, Schacter DL (1987) Neurochemical dissociation of memory systems. Neurology 37:789–794

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson-Klavehn A, Bjork RA (1988) Measures of memory. Annu Rev Psychol 39:475–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safer DJ, Allen RP (1971) The central effects of scopolamine in man. Biol Psychiatry 3:347–355

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salmon DP, Shimamura AP, Butters N, Smith S (1988) Lexical and semantic priming deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 10:477–494

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schacter DL (1985) Priming of old and new knowledge in amnesic patients and normal subjects. Ann NY Acad Sci 444:44–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Warburton D, Wesnes K (1984) Drugs as research tools in psychology: cholinergic drugs and information processing. Neuropsychobiology 11:121–132

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler D (1955) Manual for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Psychological Corporation, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse PJ, Price DL, Struble RG, Clark AW, Coyle JT, Delong MR (1982) Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia: loss of neurons in the basal forebrain. Science 215:1237–1239

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Danion, JM., Zimmermann, MA., Willard-Schroeder, D. et al. Effects of scopolamine, trimipramine and diazepam on explicit memory and repetition priming in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology 102, 422–424 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244116

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244116

Key words

Navigation