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Illegal drug use and prospective memory: A systematic review
Adnan Levent1, Eddy J Davelaar1
1Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|November 13, 2019
Summary
Illegal drug use can impair prospective memory (PM), which is memory for future actions. Lab-based studies show consistent deficits in drug users, suggesting a link between drug dosage and PM impairment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Illegal drug use is linked to neurobiological disruptions affecting cognitive functions.
- Prospective memory (PM), crucial for daily functioning, involves remembering future intentions.
- Understanding drug-induced cognitive deficits is vital for treatment and prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the impact of illegal drug use on prospective memory (PM).
- To evaluate the quality of evidence and identify patterns in PM deficits across different study methodologies.
- To synthesize findings on the relationship between drug dosage and PM impairment.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review of 27 studies published over 14 years.
- Studies were categorized based on testing methods: self-report and lab-based.
- Study quality was assessed using criteria including sample type, size, abstinence, methods, and controls.
Main Results:
- Self-report studies yielded inconsistent findings regarding PM deficits in illegal drug users.
- Lab-based testing methods showed more consistent results, indicating poorer PM performance in drug users compared to non-users.
- A dose-response relationship was observed, with higher drug dosages correlating with greater PM deficits.
Conclusions:
- Moderate evidence suggests illegal drug use impairs prospective memory ability.
- Lab-based studies provide more reliable data than self-report measures.
- Further research, particularly lab-based dose-response studies, is recommended to clarify drug-specific effects on PM.
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