{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T18:42:20Z","timestamp":1791830540032,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,29]],"date-time":"2023-06-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1687996800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Acute benzodiazepine withdrawal has been described, but literature regarding the benzodiazepine-induced neurological injury that may result in enduring symptoms and life consequences is scant.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>We conducted an internet survey of current and former benzodiazepine users and asked about their symptoms and adverse life events attributed to benzodiazepine use.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This is a secondary analysis of the largest survey ever conducted with 1,207 benzodiazepine users from benzodiazepine support groups and health\/wellness sites who completed the survey. Respondents included those still taking benzodiazepines (n = 136), tapering (n = 294), or fully discontinued (n = 763).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The survey asked about 23 specific symptoms and more than half of the respondents who experienced low energy, distractedness, memory loss, nervousness, anxiety, and other symptoms stated that these symptoms lasted a year or longer. These symptoms were often reported as <jats:italic>de novo<\/jats:italic> and distinct from the symptoms for which the benzodiazepines were originally prescribed. A subset of respondents stated that symptoms persisted even after benzodiazepines had been discontinued for a year or more. Adverse life consequences were reported by many respondents as well.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec005\">\n<jats:title>Limitations<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This was a self-selected internet survey with no control group. No independent psychiatric diagnoses could be made in participants.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec006\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Many prolonged symptoms subsequent to benzodiazepine use and discontinuation (benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction) have been shown in a large survey of benzodiazepine users. Benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND) has been proposed as a term to describe symptoms and associated adverse life consequences that may emerge during benzodiazepine use, tapering, and continue after benzodiazepine discontinuation. Not all people who take benzodiazepines will develop BIND and risk factors for BIND remain to be elucidated. Further pathogenic and clinical study of BIND is needed.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0285584","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,29]],"date-time":"2023-06-29T18:19:10Z","timestamp":1688062750000},"page":"e0285584","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":38,"title":["Long-term consequences of benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction: A survey"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0440-1894","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Alexis D.","family":"Ritvo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6478-1024","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"D. E.","family":"Foster","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1212-8477","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Christy","family":"Huff","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6474-6608","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"A. J. 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Conceptual and methodological considerations to delineating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use and disorder","volume":"116","author":"J Jager","year":"2021","journal-title":"Addiction (Abingdon, England)"},{"key":"pone.0285584.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"383","DOI":"10.1007\/164_2018_154","article-title":"Designer Benzodiazepines: Another Class of New Psychoactive Substances","volume":"252","author":"B Moosmann","year":"2018","journal-title":"Handb Exp Pharmacol"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0285584.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"809","DOI":"10.2174\/1570159X18666200110121333","article-title":"\u2019New\/Designer Benzodiazepines\u2019: An Analysis of the Literature and Psychonauts\u2019 Trip Reports","volume":"18","author":"L Orsolini","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr Neuropharmacol"},{"issue":"1\u20133","key":"pone.0285584.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1016\/j.forsciint.2012.02.006","article-title":"Phenazepam abuse in Finland: findings from apprehended drivers, post-mortem cases and police confiscations","volume":"220","author":"P Kriikku","year":"2012","journal-title":"Forensic Sci Int"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0285584","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,29]],"date-time":"2023-06-29T18:19:33Z","timestamp":1688062773000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0285584"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Simona","family":"Zaami","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,29]]},"references-count":29,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,29]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0285584","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,29]]}}}