Prospective memory impairment in former users of methamphetamine.
BACKGROUND
Considerable research indicates that methamphetamine use is associated with neurocognitive impairment, but no empirical study to date has assessed whether these difficulties extend to memory for future intentions (prospective memory).


OBJECTIVE
The present study assessed prospective performance on a laboratory measure of prospective memory that closely represents the types of prospective memory tasks that actually occur in everyday life and provides an opportunity to investigate the different sorts of prospective memory failures that occur ("Virtual Week").


METHODS
Twenty adults with confirmed history of methamphetamine use and dependence, currently engaged in rehabilitation and confirmed to be abstinent for an average period of 6 months, and 20 methamphetamine-naive participants were tested on Virtual Week. Various other aspects of cognitive function were also assessed, including retrospective memory and executive functioning.


RESULTS
Methamphetamine users were significantly impaired on Virtual Week, and these deficits did not vary as a function of specific prospective memory task demands. Of all the cognitive measures, cognitive inhibition shared greatest variance with group effects on the prospective memory measure.


CONCLUSIONS
Prospective memory performance is sensitive to prior methamphetamine use even well into abstinence. Methamphetamine users experience generalized difficulties with prospective memory, suggesting that these deficits are likely to have important implications for day-to-day functioning.
Rendell
Peter G
PG
School of Psychology, Australia Catholic University, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria 3065, Australia. peter.rendell@acu.edu.au
Mazur
Magdalena
M
Henry
Julie D
JD
D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
D008694:Methamphetamine