Recreational Cocaine Polydrug Use Impairs Cognitive Flexibility but Not Working Memory

Overview

Journal Psychopharmacology (Berl)

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2009 Sep 4

PMID 19727676

Citations 26

Authors

Lorenza S Colzato

Mariette Huizinga

Bernhard Hommel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rationale: Chronic use of cocaine is associated with dysfunctions in frontal brain regions and dopamine D2 receptors, with poorer mental flexibility and a reduced ability to inhibit manual and attentional responses. Little is known, however, about cognitive impairments in the upcoming type of recreational cocaine polydrug user (1-4 g monthly consumption).

Objective: We studied whether recreational cocaine polydrug users, who do not meet the criteria for abuse or dependence, showed impairments in working memory (WM) and cognitive flexibility.

Methods: Controls and recreational cocaine polydrug users (who abstained from cocaine and other substances more than 1 week) were matched by sex, age, alcohol consumption, and IQ (Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices). Groups were tested by using two cognitive tasks measuring cognitive flexibility and three tasks investigating the maintenance and monitoring of information in WM.

Results: Recreational cocaine polydrug users performed significantly worse than controls on tasks tapping cognitive flexibility, but show comparable performance in the active maintenance and monitoring of information in WM.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that recreational use of cocaine selectively impairs cognitive flexibility but not the maintenance of information in WM. The inability to adjust behavior rapidly and flexibly may have repercussions for daily life activities.

Citing Articles

Is Flexibility More than Fluency and Originality?.

Weiss S, Wilhelm O J Intell. 2022; 10(4).

PMID: 36412776 PMC: 9680284. DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence10040096.

Single Exposure to Cocaine Impairs Reinforcement Learning by Potentiating the Activity of Neurons in the Direct Striatal Pathway in Mice.

Diao Z, Di Y, Wu M, Zhai C, Kang M, Li Y Neurosci Bull. 2021; 37(8):1119-1134.

PMID: 33905097 PMC: 8353048. DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00687-8.

Tonic exploration governs both flexibility and lapses.

Ebitz R, Sleezer B, Jedema H, Bradberry C, Hayden B PLoS Comput Biol. 2019; 15(11):e1007475.

PMID: 31703063 PMC: 6867658. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007475.

Why Is Working Memory Performance Unstable? A Review of 21 Factors.

Blasiman R, Was C Eur J Psychol. 2018; 14(1):188-231.

PMID: 29899806 PMC: 5973525. DOI: 10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1472.

Blunted Frontostriatal Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Signals Predict Stimulant and Marijuana Use.

Blair M, Stewart J, May A, Reske M, Tapert S, Paulus M Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2018; 3(11):947-958.

PMID: 29681519 PMC: 6150844. DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.03.005.

References

Colzato L, van Wouwe N, Lavender T, Hommel B . Intelligence and cognitive flexibility: fluid intelligence correlates with feature "unbinding" across perception and action. Psychon Bull Rev. 2007; 13(6):1043-8. DOI: 10.3758/bf03213923. View

Verdejo-Garcia A, Lopez-Torrecillas F, Aguilar de Arcos F, Perez-Garcia M . Differential effects of MDMA, cocaine, and cannabis use severity on distinctive components of the executive functions in polysubstance users: a multiple regression analysis. Addict Behav. 2004; 30(1):89-101. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.04.015. View

Westover A, McBride S, Haley R . Stroke in young adults who abuse amphetamines or cocaine: a population-based study of hospitalized patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007; 64(4):495-502. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.4.495. View

Tripp G, Wickens J . Research review: dopamine transfer deficit: a neurobiological theory of altered reinforcement mechanisms in ADHD. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2007; 49(7):691-704. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01851.x. View

Bolla K, Cadet J, London E . The neuropsychiatry of chronic cocaine abuse. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1998; 10(3):280-9. DOI: 10.1176/jnp.10.3.280. View

Ackerman P, Beier M, Boyle M . Working memory and intelligence: the same or different constructs?. Psychol Bull. 2005; 131(1):30-60. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.1.30. View

Volkow N, Fowler J, Wang G . Imaging studies on the role of dopamine in cocaine reinforcement and addiction in humans. J Psychopharmacol. 2000; 13(4):337-45. DOI: 10.1177/026988119901300406. View

Verdejo-Garcia A, Perez-Garcia M . Profile of executive deficits in cocaine and heroin polysubstance users: common and differential effects on separate executive components. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2006; 190(4):517-30. DOI: 10.1007/s00213-006-0632-8. View

Blin O, Masson G, Azulay J, FONDARAI J, Serratrice G . Apomorphine-induced blinking and yawning in healthy volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 1990; 30(5):769-73. PMC: 1368179. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.1990.tb03848.x. View

10.

Colzato L, Erasmus V, Hommel B . Moderate alcohol consumption in humans impairs feature binding in visual perception but not across perception and action. Neurosci Lett. 2004; 360(1-2):103-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.01.054. View

11.

Sheehan D, Lecrubier Y, Sheehan K, Amorim P, Janavs J, Weiller E . The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry. 1999; 59 Suppl 20:22-33;quiz 34-57. View

12.

Daumann Jr J, Fischermann T, Heekeren K, Thron A, Gouzoulis-Mayfrank E . Neural mechanisms of working memory in ecstasy (MDMA) users who continue or discontinue ecstasy and amphetamine use: evidence from an 18-month longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Biol Psychiatry. 2004; 56(5):349-55. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.06.011. View

13.

Colzato L, Kool W, Hommel B . Stress modulation of visuomotor binding. Neuropsychologia. 2008; 46(5):1542-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.01.006. View

14.

Hartman M, Warren L . Explaining age differences in temporal working memory. Psychol Aging. 2006; 20(4):645-56. DOI: 10.1037/0882-7974.20.4.645. View

15.

Kane M, Conway A, Miura T, Colflesh G . Working memory, attention control, and the N-back task: a question of construct validity. J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2007; 33(3):615-622. DOI: 10.1037/0278-7393.33.3.615. View

16.

Colzato L, van den Wildenberg W, Hommel B . Reduced spontaneous eye blink rates in recreational cocaine users: evidence for dopaminergic hypoactivity. PLoS One. 2008; 3(10):e3461. PMC: 2565797. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003461. View

17.

Karson C . Spontaneous eye-blink rates and dopaminergic systems. Brain. 1983; 106 (Pt 3):643-53. DOI: 10.1093/brain/106.3.643. View

18.

Colzato L, van den Wildenberg W, Hommel B . Impaired inhibitory control in recreational cocaine users. PLoS One. 2007; 2(11):e1143. PMC: 2065840. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001143. View

19.

Noble E, Blum K, Khalsa M, Ritchie T, Montgomery A, Wood R . Allelic association of the D2 dopamine receptor gene with cocaine dependence. Drug Alcohol Depend. 1993; 33(3):271-85. DOI: 10.1016/0376-8716(93)90113-5. View

20.

Jovanovski D, Erb S, Zakzanis K . Neurocognitive deficits in cocaine users: a quantitative review of the evidence. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 2005; 27(2):189-204. DOI: 10.1080/13803390490515694. View