Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging of a low dose of dexmedetomidine that impairs long-term memory.

Background: Work suggests the amnesia from dexmedetomidine (an α2-adrenergic agonist) is caused by a failure of information to be encoded into long-term memory and that dexmedetomidine might differentially affect memory for emotionally arousing material. We investigated these issues in humans using event-related neuroimaging to reveal alterations in brain activity and subsequent memory effects associated with drug exposure.

Methods: Forty-eight healthy volunteers received a computer-controlled infusion of either placebo or low-dose dexmedetomidine (target = 0.