Reduced memory and attention performance in a population-based sample of young adults with a moderate lifetime use of cannabis, ecstasy and alcohol.
F Indlekofer, M Piechatzek, M Daamen, C Glasmacher, R Lieb, H Pfister, O Tucha, K W Lange, H U Wittchen, C G Schütz
Journal of Psychopharmacology July 2009 DOI: 10.1177/0269881108091076 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 284 |
| Population | Young adults aged 22-34 from a community-based representative sample with moderate lifetime drug experience |
| Topics | Cannabis MDMA |
| Key findings | Lifetime ecstasy and cannabis use were significantly associated with poorer episodic memory in a dose-related manner. Attentional measures showed small but significant decrements in error rates on tonic and phasic alertness, selective attention, and vigilance tasks, suggesting a tendency toward attention lapses, with no reaction time differences. |
Abstract
Regular use of illegal drugs is suspected to cause cognitive impairments. Two substances have received heightened attention: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or 'ecstasy') and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC or 'cannabis'). Preclinical evidence, as well as human studies examining regular ecstasy consumers, indicated that ecstasy use may have negative effects on learning, verbal memory and complex attentional functions. Cannabis has also been linked to symptoms of inattention and deficits in learning and memory. Most of the published studies in this field of research recruited participants by means of newspaper advertisements or by using word-of-mouth strategies. Because participants were usually aware that their drug use was critical to the research design, this awareness may have caused selection bias or created expectation effects. Focussing on attention and memory, this study aimed to assess cognitive functioning in a community-based representative sample that was derived from a large-scale epidemiological study. Available data concerning drug use history allowed sampling of subjects with varying degrees of lifetime drug experiences. Cognitive functioning was examined in 284 young participants, between 22 and 34 years. In general, their lifetime drug experience was moderate. Participants completed a neuropsychological test battery, including measures for verbal learning, memory and various attentional functions. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between cognitive functioning and lifetime experience of drug use. Ecstasy and cannabis use were significantly related to poorer episodic memory function in a dose-related manner. For attentional measures, decrements of small effect sizes were found. Error measures in tonic and phasic alertness tasks, selective attention task and vigilance showed small but significant effects, suggesting a stronger tendency to experience lapses of attention. No indication for differences in reaction time was found. The results are consistent with decrements of memory and attentional performance described in previous studies. These effects are relatively small; however, it must be kept in mind that this study focussed on assessing young adults with moderate drug use from a population-based study.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Effects of Cannabis on Impulsivity: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Findings Current Pharmaceutical Design May 10, 2014
- THC Prevents MDMA Neurotoxicity in Mice PLoS One February 10, 2010
- Impaired cognitive performance under psycho-social stress in cannabis-dependent males is mediated by attenuated precuneus activity bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 29, 2018
- Strategic control, consolidation and poly-drug use; the relative contributions to verbal memory impairment in recreational ecstasy users UTAS Research Repository August 1, 2014
- Cannabis Use Characteristics Associated with Self-Reported Cognitive Function in a Nationally Representative U.S. sample Substance Use & Misuse April 25, 2024
and 5 more in the library
Cites 13
- Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings The Lancet October 1, 1998
- Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Neurology December 1, 1998
- Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry June 1, 2000
- (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Studies in Animals Neuropsychobiology 2000
- Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits Journal of Psychopharmacology 1998
and 8 more in the library