Benzodiazepines, used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and panic disorder, are one of the most commonly prescribed psychiatric drugs in the world. “While these medications are useful in the short-term, the published evidence indicates that when they are used for longer periods, they often culminate in significant harm,” write the researchers. These harms include the risk of dependency and adverse effects, such as cognitive impairment. Given these negative effects, many studies have investigated factors associated with long-term benzodiazepine use.

The authors previously conducted a meta-analysis and found that, although cognitive functioning improved after discontinuation of benzodiazepines, participants still demonstrated cognitive deficits 6 months after withdrawal. The purpose of the present study was to update the previous meta-analysis in order to “provide an up to date review of the residual cognitive effects of the benzodiazepines in current users, those who have recently withdrawn and characterizing the long-term residual effects of those who have successfully abstained following withdrawal,” write the authors. The researchers reviewed 8 studies that had been published between 2003 and 2016, in addition to the 11 studies reviewed in the previous meta-analysis.

Results demonstrate that current long-term benzodiazepine use (i.e., greater than 1 year) significantly affects a number of cognitive domains: working memory, processing speed, divided attention, visuoconstruction (i.e, ability to organize spatial information and physically form a design), recent memory, and expressive language (i.e., verbal and nonverbal communication). The reviewed studies suggest that cognitive deficits persist after recent and long-standing benzodiazepine withdrawal (up to 3.5 years).