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Premorbid and current neuropsychological function in opiate abusers receiving treatment
Graham Pluck1, Kwang-Hyuk Lee, Ruta Rele
1Academic Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S5 7JT, UK. g.pluck@sheffield.ac.uk
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|January 31, 2012
Summary
Neurobehavioral abnormalities, particularly apathy and frontal lobe dysfunction, may precede opiate abuse. These frontal systems behavior scale (FrSBe) findings suggest impairments may not solely result from substance abuse effects.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Substance abuse is linked to neuropsychological deficits, especially in frontal lobe functions.
- These impairments may predate substance use, rather than being solely a consequence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate premorbid and current neurobehavioral abnormalities in abstinent opiate abusers compared to controls.
- To determine if frontal lobe dysfunction is a consequence of opiate abuse or a premorbid trait.
Main Methods:
- Matched pairs design comparing 22 abstinent opiate abusers with 22 healthy controls.
- Assessment using the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) for neurobehavioral abnormalities.
- Estimation of premorbid and current IQ scores.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in socioeconomic background or IQ between groups.
- Opiate abusers reported higher apathy and total FrSBe scores, indicating frontal lobe impairment.
- These neurobehavioral abnormalities were reported by abusers even prior to substance abuse.
Conclusions:
- Abstinent opiate abusers exhibit elevated neurobehavioral abnormalities, independent of general intellectual functioning.
- These findings suggest that frontal lobe dysfunction may be a premorbid characteristic in some individuals with substance use disorders.
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