Executive function deficits in short-term abstinent cannabis users.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
Few cognitive tasks are adequately sensitive to show the small decrements in performance in abstinent chronic cannabis users. In this series of three experiments we set out to demonstrate a variety of tasks that are sufficiently sensitive to show differences in visual memory, verbal memory, everyday memory and executive function between controls and cannabis users.

METHODS:
A series of three studies explored cognitive function deficits in cannabis users (phonemic verbal fluency, visual recognition and immediate and delayed recall, and prospective memory) in short-term abstinent cannabis users. Participants were selected using snowball sampling, with cannabis users being compared to a standard control group and a tobacco-use control group.

RESULTS:
The cannabis users, compared to both control groups, had deficits on verbal fluency, visual recognition, delayed visual recall, and short- and long-interval prospective memory. There were no differences for immediate visual recall.

CONCLUSIONS:
These findings suggest that cannabis use leads to impaired executive function. Further research needs to explore the longer term impact of cannabis use.Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Author information

Author/s: McHale, Sue (S); Hunt, Nigel (N);

Affiliation: Brain, Behaviour and Cognition Group, Sheffield Hallam University, UK. s.l.mchale@shu.ac.uk

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article

Journal: Human psychopharmacology (Hum Psychopharmacol), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jul; vol 23 (issue 5) : pp 409-15

Dates: Created 2008/06/25; Completed 2008/07/31;

PMID: 18421794, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Cognition - drug effects
Female
Humans
Male

Male
Marijuana Smoking - adverse effects
Memory - drug effects
Mental Recall - drug effects
Neuropsychological Tests
Smoking - adverse effects

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