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Multivariate Base Rates of Low Score on Neuropsychological Tests of Individuals with Coca Paste Use Disorder
Esperanza Vergara-Moragues1,2, María Rocío Acosta Barreto3, Diego Rivera4,5
1Department of Psychology, University of Cadiz (UCA), Cadiz, Spain.
Summary
Individuals with coca paste use disorders (CPUD) show significantly more low scores on neuropsychological tests for memory, language, and executive functions compared to healthy controls (HCs). This highlights potential cognitive impairments in CPUD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Coca paste use disorder (CPUD) is associated with various health issues, including potential cognitive deficits.
- Neuropsychological testing is crucial for assessing cognitive functions like memory, language, and executive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of low neuropsychological test scores in individuals with CPUD.
- To compare cognitive performance between individuals with CPUD and healthy controls (HCs).
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 162 Colombian adults with CPUD and 162 HCs.
- Eight neuropsychological tests assessing learning and memory, language, and executive functions were administered.
- Participants were categorized based on percentile cut-offs for low scores.
Main Results:
- Individuals with CPUD exhibited higher percentages of low scores across all cognitive domains compared to HCs.
- Specifically, 89.5% of CPUD vs. 55.6% of HCs had low learning/memory scores.
- 92% of CPUD vs. 67.3% of HCs showed deficits in executive functions.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with CPUD demonstrate widespread cognitive impairments in learning, memory, language, and executive functions.
- Clinicians should be aware of these findings to prevent misdiagnosis of cognitive impairment in CPUD patients.
