OBJECTIVE: Although cocaine use is a significant public health problem, there is relative paucity of scientific data on long-term neurocognitive consequences of the exposure to the substance. METHODS: This study examined the association between crack cocaine dependence and neuropsychological performance. An extended battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 15 abstinent cocaine abusers, inpatients in abstinence for two weeks, and 15 non-drug-using control subjects matched for age, gender, education, socio-economic status, handedness and IQ. RESULTS: The preliminary findings showed statistical significance (p<0.05) on differences of performance in attention, verbal fluency, verbal memory, visual memory, learning ability and executive functions. CONCLUSIONS: These results represent evidences that cocaine abuse is associated with decrements in cognitive functioning, similar to cognitive disorders associated to prefrontal and temporal brain impairments. Knowledge of specific cognitive deficits in cocaine abusers may be useful for designing more effective substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.
OBJECTIVE: Although cocaine use is a significant public health problem, there is relative paucity of scientific data on long-term neurocognitive consequences of the exposure to the substance. METHODS: This study examined the association between crack cocaine dependence and neuropsychological performance. An extended battery of neuropsychological tests was administered to 15 abstinent cocaine abusers, inpatients in abstinence for two weeks, and 15 non-drug-using control subjects matched for age, gender, education, socio-economic status, handedness and IQ. RESULTS: The preliminary findings showed statistical significance (p<0.05) on differences of performance in attention, verbal fluency, verbal memory, visual memory, learning ability and executive functions. CONCLUSIONS: These results represent evidences that cocaine abuse is associated with decrements in cognitive functioning, similar to cognitive disorders associated to prefrontal and temporal brain impairments. Knowledge of specific cognitive deficits in cocaine abusers may be useful for designing more effective substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.
Authors: Daniela L Cannizzaro; Jennifer C Elliott; Malka Stohl; Deborah S Hasin; Efrat Aharonovich Journal: Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse Date: 2014-06-20 Impact factor: 3.829
Authors: Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha; Priscila Dib Gonçalves; Mariella Ometto; Bernardo Dos Santos; Sergio Nicastri; Geraldo F Busatto; Arthur Guerra de Andrade Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2013-10-21 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Gabriel Chaves Neto; João Euclides Fernandes Braga; Mateus Feitosa Alves; Liana Clébia de Morais Pordeus; Sócrates Golzio Dos Santos; Marcus Tullius Scotti; Reinaldo N Almeida; Margareth de Fátima Formiga Melo Diniz Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2017-10-18 Impact factor: 2.629
Authors: Laura Stevens; Patricia Betanzos-Espinosa; Cleo L Crunelle; Esperanza Vergara-Moragues; Herbert Roeyers; Oscar Lozano; Geert Dom; Francisco Gonzalez-Saiz; Wouter Vanderplasschen; Antonio Verdejo-García; Miguel Pérez-García Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2013-11-15 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Daniela de Lucas Rosseto; Silvana Cristina Ribeiro; Mônica Pires de Castro Mendonça; José Antônio A de Oliveira; Ana Cláudia Mirândola Barbosa Reis; Sinésio Grace Dutra Journal: Braz J Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2009 Sep-Oct