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Short-term memory impairment in cannabis-dependent adolescents
R H Schwartz1, P J Gruenewald, M Klitzner
1Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
American Journal of Diseases of Children (1960)
|October 1, 1989
Summary
Cannabis-dependent adolescents exhibit lasting short-term memory deficits, impacting both verbal and visual recall. These memory impairments persist for at least six weeks after marijuana cessation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Marijuana's delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration has risen significantly.
- Previous studies on marijuana's memory effects focused solely on adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess short-term memory deficits in cannabis-dependent adolescents.
- To compare memory performance with non-drug-abusing and non-cannabis-abusing adolescent controls.
Main Methods:
- Administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to 10 cannabis-dependent adolescents and 17 controls.
- Matched groups on age, IQ, and absence of learning disabilities.
- Re-administered tests after 6 weeks of supervised abstention.
Main Results:
- Cannabis-dependent adolescents showed initial deficits in visual-spatial and auditory-verbal memory compared to controls.
- Some improvement was observed after 6 weeks of abstinence, but it was not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Cannabis-dependent adolescents experience selective short-term memory deficits.
- These deficits persist for at least six weeks post-marijuana use.