Lack of cognitive recovery following withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use

Twenty-one patients with significant long-term therapeutic benzodiazepine (BZ) use, who remained abstinent at 6 months follow-up after successfully completing a standardized inpatient BZ withdrawal regime, and 21 normal controls matched for age and IQ but not for anxiety, were repeatedly tested on a simple battery of routine psychometric tests of cognitive function, pre- and post-withdrawal and at 6 months follow-up. The results demonstrated significant impairment in patients in verbal learning and memory, psychomotor, visuo-motor and visuo-conceptual abilities, compared with controls, at all three time points. Despite practice effects, no evidence of immediate recovery of cognitive function following BZ withdrawal was found. Modest recovery of certain deficits emerged at 6 months follow-up in the BZ group, but this remained significantly below the equivalent control performance. The implications of persisting cognitive deficits after withdrawal from long-term BZ use are discussed.

A survey of patients' attitudes towards inpatient psychiatric ward rounds

Attitudes towards the multidisciplinary ward round were assessed in fifty psychiatric inpatients, from two wards, using a semi-structured interview. About three quarters of them had at least a moderately favourable impression of the ward round but more than half would still prefer not to be interviewed in this way. Levels of anxiety and perceived helpfulness were positively correlated. Afro-Caribbeans found the interview significantly less helpful, less understandable and less memorable. Men found it less helpful than women and there were differences found between the two wards. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.