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Updated: Feb 1, 2026
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Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
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Working Memory Training for Adolescents With Cannabis Use Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Mary M Sweeney1, Olga Rass1, Cara DiClemente1
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse
|December 8, 2018
Summary
Working memory training showed limited benefits for adolescents in cannabis treatment, with few cognitive or functional improvements observed. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels slightly decreased in the training group, suggesting minimal impact on overall recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Addiction Research
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Adolescent cannabis use is linked to impaired working memory.
- Cognitive deficits may hinder recovery and treatment outcomes in adolescent substance users.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of working memory training as an adjunctive treatment for adolescents in cannabis use disorder treatment.
- To assess the impact of working memory training on cognitive function, drug use, and overall functioning in this population.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with adolescents (ages 14-21) undergoing cannabis use treatment.
- Participants were assigned to either working memory training (experimental) or a control training program.
- Cognitive function, drug use (including THC urinalysis), and functional outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Few significant differences were found between groups in cognitive, functional, or self-reported drug use outcomes.
- The experimental group showed a trend towards lower tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels in urinalysis compared to the control group.
- Results align with prior research indicating limited transfer effects of working memory training in substance users.
Conclusions:
- Working memory training, as a standalone adjunctive therapy, demonstrated limited efficacy in improving cognitive and functional outcomes for adolescents in cannabis treatment.
- While a slight reduction in THC levels was observed in the training group, overall treatment benefits were not substantial.
- Further research is needed to explore more comprehensive interventions that may enhance cognitive function and recovery in adolescent cannabis users.
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