title: Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) is a simple tool for detecting executive deficits in chronic cannabis users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cannabis is the most used illicit drug in the world, and its use has been associated with prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction, including deficits in executive functions (EF). Considering that EF may influence treatment outcome, it would be interesting to have a brief neuropsychological battery to assess EF in chronic cannabis users (CCU). In the present study, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), a brief, easy to use neuropsychological instrument aimed to evaluate EF, was used to evaluate cognitive functioning of CCU.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 107 abstinent CCU with the FAB and compared with 44 controls matched for age, estimated IQ, and years of education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CCU performed poorly as compared to controls (FAB total score = 16.53 vs. 17.09, p < .05). CCU had also a poor performance in the Motor Programming subtest (2.47 vs. 2.73, p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study examined effects of cannabis in executive functioning and showed evidence that the FAB is sensitive to detect EF deficits in early abstinent chronic cannabis users. Clinical significance of these findings remains to be investigated in further longitudinal studies. FAB may be useful as a screening instrument to evaluate the necessity for a complete neuropsychological assessment in this population.
authors.affiliation: LiNC-Laboratorio Interdisciplinar de Neurociencias Clinicas, Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. m.alice@plenamente.com.br
authors.forename: Maria Alice
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: Karen I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Bolla
authors.forename: Paulo Jannuzzi
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Priscila Previato
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jungerman
authors.forename: Ronaldo Ramos
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Laranjeira
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bressan
authors.forename: Acioly L T
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lacerda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054501:Group II Phospholipases A2; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007802:Language; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054501:Group II Phospholipases A2