Fletcher J M, Page J B, Francis D J, Copeland K, Naus M J, Davis C M, Morris R, Krauskopf D, Satz P
Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, USA.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Nov;53(11):1051-7. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830110089011.
Cognitive correlates of long-term cannabis use have been elusive. We tested the hypothesis that long-term cannabis use is associated with deficits in short term memory, working memory, and attention in a literate, westernized culture (Costa Rica) in which the effects of cannabis use can be isolated.
Two cohorts of long-term cannabis users and nonusers were studied. Within each cohort, users and nonusers were comparable in age and socioeconomic status. Polydrug users and users who tested positive for the use of cannabis at the time of cognitive assessment after a 72-hour abstention period were excluded. The older cohort (whose age was approximately 45 years) had consumed cannabis for an average of 34 years, and comprised 17 users and 30 nonusers, who had been recruited in San José, Costa Rica, and had been observed since 1973. The younger cohort (whose age was approximately 28 years) had consumed cannabis for an average of 8 years, and comprised 37 users and 49 nonusers. Short-term memory, working memory, and attentional skills were measured in each subject.
Older long-term users performed worse than older nonusers on 2 short-term memory tests involving learning lists of words. In addition, older long-term users performed worse than older nonusers on selective and divided attention tasks associated with working memory. No notable differences were apparent between younger users and nonusers.
Long-term cannabis use was associated with disruption of short-term memory, working memory, and attentional skills in older long-term cannabis users.
长期使用大麻与认知之间的关联一直难以捉摸。我们检验了这样一个假设：在一个能够将大麻使用影响分离出来的有文化、西方化的文化环境（哥斯达黎加）中，长期使用大麻与短期记忆、工作记忆和注意力缺陷有关。
对两组长期大麻使用者和非使用者进行了研究。在每组中，使用者和非使用者在年龄和社会经济地位方面具有可比性。多药使用者以及在72小时禁戒期后认知评估时大麻使用检测呈阳性的使用者被排除。年龄较大的一组（年龄约45岁）平均吸食大麻34年，包括17名使用者和30名非使用者，他们于1973年在哥斯达黎加圣何塞招募，此后一直受到观察。年龄较小的一组（年龄约28岁）平均吸食大麻8年，包括37名使用者和49名非使用者。对每个受试者的短期记忆、工作记忆和注意力技能进行了测量。
在两项涉及学习单词列表的短期记忆测试中，年长的长期使用者表现比年长的非使用者差。此外，在与工作记忆相关的选择性和分散注意力任务中，年长的长期使用者表现也比年长的非使用者差。年轻使用者和非使用者之间没有明显差异。
长期使用大麻与年长的长期大麻使用者的短期记忆、工作记忆和注意力技能受损有关。
