Benzos Regarding diazepam and cognitive impairment

[3aox]

Hi,
Crossing through some articles on web, I saw some suggestions that:

While benzodiazepine drugs such as diazepam can cause anterograde amnesia, they do not cause retrograde amnesia; information learned before using benzodiazepines is not impaired.

- Wikipedia, diazepam

Then, next paragraph states:

Additionally, after cessation of benzodiazepines, cognitive deficits may persist for at least six months; it is unclear whether these impairments take longer than six months to abate or if they are permanent.

- Wikipedia, diazepam

Anyway, a study published on National Institute of Health cites:

Neither diazepam (0.25, 1.0, or 2.0 mg/kg) nor triazolam (0.05, 0.2, or 0.3 mg/kg) injected 30 min prior to testing on the previously learned maze affected swim time or errors committed.

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8808138

From what I understood, does this mean that diazepam will impair cognitive functions if used either non-regularly or regularly (wikipedia) or it doesn't? (ncbi)

Also I need an explanation about long term: does long term mean using X substance regularly for a specific time (weeks/months/years) or it means using non-regularly for specific time? I.e: using once in a month or once in two months, etc, is this called long term? Or the "long-term" only applies using regularly like every month or every week for that X time?

 

[Slow_Mobius]

Long term is regular user--not once a month. I think most people would consider dailyish dosing over an extended period of time to be long term. As for the amnesia, I'm not sure how extensively it's been studied or if there's a consensus. My impression is that benzos have a significant effect on learning and memory while you're taking them, but they'll have little to no affect on anything you've already learned.

 

[3aox]

Long term is regular user--not once a month. I think most people would consider dailyish dosing over an extended period of time to be long term. As for the amnesia, I'm not sure how extensively it's been studied or if there's a consensus. My impression is that benzos have a significant effect on learning and memory while you're taking them, but they'll have little to no affect on anything you've already learned.

Thanks for explaining the long term user. Thank you for your thought also upon main concern.
I too agree that will have no-to-little affect on previous stored memory. My main thought was how does affect the information that gets stored after the experience? How well does a individual perform on learning after taking it, comparing to the one who didn't take. Surely there could be a difference, but how much?
Greetings.

 

[Slow_Mobius]

Learning, memory, and cognition among other things will be impaired while you're under the influence of the drug. After it's worn off, everything will be back to normal. I think the exception to that would be people who take hefty doses for extended periods of time. Learning and memory might still be impaired to some degree while going through WD.

I've never been through any bad benzo WDs though, so maybe someone with some personal experience can chime in there.

 

[3aox]

I think the exception to that would be people who take hefty doses for extended periods of time.

That's what I logically got. Using too much for prolonged time, it somehow must impair cognitive abilities. Whilst, yeah, I know that going through WD or under its influence, cognitive and motor impairment are not absent. Thank you.