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Declarative and procedural memory functioning in abstinent cocaine abusers
W G van Gorp1, J N Wilkins, C H Hinkin
1Department of Psychiatry, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Archives of General Psychiatry
|January 19, 1999
Summary
Cocaine abuse impairs nonverbal declarative memory for 45 days. However, cocaine abusers show improved motor learning skills compared to controls during abstinence.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Cocaine abuse is associated with cognitive deficits.
- Understanding memory recovery after cocaine abstinence is crucial for treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate procedural and declarative memory functioning in cocaine abusers during 45 days of abstinence.
- To compare memory recovery between cocaine abusers and control subjects.
Main Methods:
- 37 cocaine abusers and 27 controls completed memory and mood assessments over 4 visits within 45 days of abstinence.
- Tests included the California Verbal Learning Test, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test recall, Pursuit Rotor Task, and Profile of Mood States.
Main Results:
- Cocaine abusers showed lasting deficits in nonverbal declarative memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test recall) compared to controls.
- Both groups improved on verbal learning (California Verbal Learning Test), with no significant group differences.
- Cocaine abusers demonstrated faster initial improvement and sustained learning on the motor task (Pursuit Rotor Task) compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- A 45-day abstinence period reveals persistent negative effects on nonverbal declarative memory in cocaine-dependent individuals.
- Abstinence from cocaine is associated with enhanced motor learning abilities relative to controls over the same period.