From: Propofol and Midazolam Inhibit Conscious Memory Processes Very Soon after Encoding: An Event-related Potential Study of Familiarity and Recollection in Volunteers Anesthes. 2009;110(2):295-312. doi:10.1097/ALN.0b013e3181942ef0 Figure Legend: Fig. 3. The factor of interval contrasted the difference between working and long-term memory function. All drugs increased reaction times and decreased correct recognitions in comparison to placebo, but had similar effects among themselves for the most part (except for a greater effect of midazolam, indicated with *). All drugs increased the error rate in categorizations (false alarms, panel  B  ), but there was no difference among drugs. Behavioral responses revealed normal function of working memory in the presence of drug (panel  A  ; 22 ms faster recognitions of pictures at 6 s; F = 5.83). The functioning of working and long-term memory to support recognitions during the continuous recognition task (CRT) was equivalent (panel  C  ; factor of interval not significant [NS]). In other words, the CRT was successful in encoding long-term memories in the presence of sedation. Midazolam produced more impairment than other drugs (significantly increased reaction times [  P  = 0.013  vs.  placebo; NS  vs.  other drugs] and decreased memory function [  P  = 0.003  vs.  , placebo, lower dose;  P  < 0.001  vs.  placebo higher dose;  P  < 0.04  vs.  other drugs, higher dose]). Notably, in terms of memory function, dexmedetomidine was no different from placebo even at the higher dose (panel  C  ). All drugs increased forgetting of pictures encoded during the CRT compared with placebo (panel  D  ). The degree of forgetting was the same among active drugs, as the calculation (recognition CRT – recognition end of day) normalized the starting point for forgetting. There was less forgetting of pictures recognized from long-term memory than those recognized from working memory (as shown by the factor of interval F = 8.72). Preferentially better long-term memory may have been exaggerated in the case of thiopental (shown by the differences in the third and fourth bars in each cluster), indicating a lack of a conscious amnesic effect (a drug by interval interaction suggested by  P  = 0.10, with thiopental being different from placebo [  P  = 0.02]).  Date of download: 11/22/2017 Copyright © 2017 American Society of Anesthesiologists. All rights reserved.