Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume 67, Issue 1 , Pages 105-108, 1 June 2002

Neuropsychological deficits and opiate abuse☆

  • P.E Davis

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychology, Camden and Islington Mental Health NHS Trust, Margarete Centre, St. James House, 108 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2LS, UK
    • St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Fax: +44-020-7530-3208
    • ,
  • H Liddiard

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
    • ,
  • T.M McMillan

      Affiliations

    • Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

Received 27 March 2001; received in revised form 18 January 2002; accepted 29 January 2002.

Abstract 

Cognitive functioning was examined in people with a current or past history of opiate abuse using a range of neuropsychological tests. Sixty percent of those currently abusing opiates showed impairments of at least two standard deviations from the published norms on two or more neuropsychological tests, a significantly higher incidence than found in matched controls with no history of drug abuse. The drug free group of recovering addicts fell between the other groups without significant differences. It was concluded that the risk of neuropsychological impairment is greater in opiate abusers, and that recovery may occur during abstinence.

Keywords:  Drug abuse, Opiates, Dependence, Neuropsychology, Cognitive functioning

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☆ This paper was presented by the first author at the Society for the Study of Addiction Annual Symposium, Leeds, UK, November 2000.

PII: S0376-8716(02)00012-1

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume 67, Issue 1 , Pages 105-108, 1 June 2002

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