Self-reports of Executive Dysfunction in Current Ecstasy/Polydrug Users

Article


Hadjiefthyvoulou, F., Fisk, John E., Montgomery, Catharine and Bridges, Nikola 2012. Self-reports of Executive Dysfunction in Current Ecstasy/Polydrug Users. Cognitive And Behavioral Neurology. 25 (3), pp. 128-138. https://doi.org/10.1097/WNN.0b013e318261459c
AuthorsHadjiefthyvoulou, F., Fisk, John E., Montgomery, Catharine and Bridges, Nikola
Abstract

Objectives/Background: Ecstasy/polydrug users have exhibited deficits in executive functioning in laboratory tests. We sought to extend these findings by investigating the extent to which ecstasy/polydrug users manifest executive deficits in everyday life.

Methods: Forty-two current ecstasy/polydrug users, 18 previous (abstinent for at least 6 months) ecstasy/polydrug users, and 50 non-users of ecstasy (including both non-users of any illicit drug and some cannabis-only users) completed the self-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A) measure.

Results: Current ecstasy/polydrug users performed significantly worse than previous users and non-users on subscales measuring inhibition, self-monitoring, initiating action, working memory, planning, monitoring ongoing task performance, and organizational ability. Previous ecstasy/polydrug users did not differ significantly from non-users. In regression analyses, although the current frequency of ecstasy use accounted for statistically significant unique variance on 3 of the 9 BRIEF-A subscales, daily cigarette consumption was the main predictor in 6 of the subscales.

Conclusions: Current ecstasy/polydrug users report more executive dysfunction than do previous users and non-users. This finding appears to relate to some aspect of ongoing ecstasy use and seems largely unrelated to the use of other illicit drugs. An unexpected finding was the association of current nicotine consumption with executive dysfunction.

JournalCognitive And Behavioral Neurology
Journal citation25 (3), pp. 128-138
ISSN1543-3633
Year2012
PublisherLippincott, Williams & Wilkins for the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology
Accepted author manuscript
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1097/WNN.0b013e318261459c
Web address (URL)https://doi.org/10.1097/WNN.0b013e318261459c
Publication dates
PrintSep 2012
Publication process dates
Deposited07 Nov 2018
Accepted01 Feb 2012
Accepted01 Feb 2012
Copyright information© 2012 Lippincott Williams. Note: This is not the final published version
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