Attention and memory in illicit amphetamine users: comparison with non-drug-using controls.
The purpose of this study was to clarify the extent of neuropsychological impairment previously found among amphetamine users (McKetin and Mattick, 1997) by comparing them with a non-drug-using control group. Amphetamine users who were classified as low dependence (n = 15) or high dependence (n = 11) according to the severity of dependence scale (SDS) were compared to non-drug-using control subjects (n = 9) on indices of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R). Dependent amphetamine users (high dependence group) performed approximately one half of a standard deviation worse than controls on the verbal memory, attention/concentration and delayed recall indices of the WMS-R but amphetamine users who were less dependent (low dependence group) showed no impairment.
McKetin
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National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Mattick
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RP
D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014888:Wechsler Scales