title: Neurocognitive performance following acute mephedrone administration, with and without alcohol.
abstract: Recreational use of mephedrone, alone and in combination with alcohol, has increased over the past years. Pharmacological properties of mephedrone share similarities with methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but its effect on neurocognitive function has not been well established in humans. The present study assessed the effect of mephedrone alone and after co-administration with alcohol on neurocognitive function. It was hypothesised that mephedrone would improve psychomotor performance but impair memory performance, when administered alone. Neurocognitive performance was expected to be impaired following mephedrone when combined with alcohol. Eleven participants received single doses of 200 mg mephedrone or placebo combined with 0.8 g/kg alcohol or placebo. Neurocognitive performance was assessed at baseline (T0), at one hour (T1) and four hours after (T2) mephedrone administration, by means of the Divided Attention Task (DAT), Critical Tracking Task (CTT), and the Spatial Memory Test (SMT). Mephedrone intoxication impaired short-term spatial memory at T1and improved critical tracking performance at T2Mephedrone alone did not affect divided attention, but did show an interaction with alcohol on reaction time at T2Reaction time decreased when mephedrone was combined with alcohol as compared to alcohol alone. Alcohol intoxication impaired both short- and long-term spatial memory at T1and divided attention at T1and T2Critical tracking performance was not affected by alcohol intoxication. The current findings support the hypothesis that mephedrone improves psychomotor performance, impairs spatial memory and does not affect divided attention performance. Stimulatory effects of mephedrone were not sufficient to compensate for the impairing effects of alcohol on most performance parameters.
authors: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands e.desousafernandes@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors: E B
authors: EB
authors: de Sousa Fernandes Perna
authors: Integrative Pharmacology & Neurosciences Systems Research Group, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain.|Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Clinical Pharmacology, Badalona, Spain.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Papaseit
authors: Integrative Pharmacology & Neurosciences Systems Research Group, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain.|Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Pérez-Mañá
authors: Integrative Pharmacology & Neurosciences Systems Research Group, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain.|Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Mateus
authors: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors: E L
authors: EL
authors: Theunissen
authors: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors: Kpc
authors: K
authors: Kuypers
authors: Integrative Pharmacology & Neurosciences Systems Research Group, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain.|Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.|Universitat Pompeu Fabra, CEXS-UPF, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: de la Torre
authors: Integrative Pharmacology & Neurosciences Systems Research Group, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain.|Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Clinical Pharmacology, Badalona, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Farré
authors: Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Ramaekers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D008694:Methamphetamine; C548233:mephedrone; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
keywords: Acute; alcohol co-administration; mephedrone; psychomotor performance; spatial memory