Cognitive Impairments in Patients with GHB Use Disorder Predict Relapse in GHB Use

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Addiction Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Recreational gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) use is linked to overdoses, coma, and GHB use disorder (GUD).
• GHB use and related comas may negatively impact cognitive functions.
• High relapse rates in GUD, coupled with cognitive impairment's association with relapse in other substance use disorders, necessitate further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment in GUD patients before and after detoxification.
• To analyze the relationship between GHB use, comas, and cognitive impairment.
• To explore if cognitive impairment predicts relapse in GUD patients post-detoxification.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study involving 103 GUD patients undergoing detoxification.
• The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was administered pre- and post-detoxification to screen for cognitive impairments.
• Relapse in GHB use was assessed over a 3-month follow-up period.

Main Results:

• A significant proportion of GUD patients exhibited cognitive impairment before (56.3%) and after (30.6%) detoxification.
• Memory domain impairment was the most prevalent cognitive deficit (58.8%).
• Cognitive impairment was not correlated with GHB use severity or the number of GHB-induced comas; however, memory scores independently predicted relapse.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive impairment is highly prevalent in GUD and may be associated with relapse risk.
• The lack of correlation between GHB use severity, coma frequency, and cognitive impairment suggests other contributing factors.
• Memory function is a key predictor of relapse in GUD patients.