Open AccessThe impact of heroin on frontal executive functions
Author(s) -
Charles W H Pau
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
archives of clinical neuropsychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1873-5843
pISSN - 0887-6177
DOI - 10.1016/s0887-6177(01)00169-x
Subject(s) - executive functions , cognitive flexibility , psychology , heroin , neuropsychology , cognition , addiction , heroin addiction , impulse (physics) , impulsivity , clinical psychology , psychiatry , physics , drug , quantum mechanics
Our study examined the impact of heroin on frontal executive functioning in three cognitive domains, namely attention, impulse control, and mental flexibility and abstract reasoning. It was hypothesized that heroin addiction would lead to deficits in these three cognitive domains. Fifty-five participants, 30 heroin addicts, and 25 normal controls were invited to participate in this study. Each participant was individually interviewed for demographic data and tested by the selected neuropsychological measures. The findings indicate that heroin addiction has a negative effect on impulse control, while attention and mental flexibility/abstract reasoning ability were not affected. © 2002 National Academy of Neuropsychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex