A comparison of memory and attention performance between heroin crack addict, opium addict and non-addict individuals

Today, drug addiction is one of the biggest problems which most countries in the world are somehow involved with. The heroin crack has short and long term effects on emotion, cognition and behavior. The purpose of this study was to compare memory and attention performance in people between heroin cracks addict, opium addict and non-addict individuals.

The statistical population of present study consisted of heroin crack addict, opium addict and non-addict individuals. Two groups of addicts were selected among clients referred to addiction treatment clinics in Shahrood. Also, non-addict group, 30 individuals, without any history of drug use, were selected from the patient's attendants by purposeful sampling. The research tools consisted of Wechsler memory test and cognitive test set using the COG LAB software. Data were analyzed using Analysis of variance Multivariable Analyze of Covariance (MANCOVA).

There was a significant difference between the non-addict group and opium addict and heroin crack addict groups in the case of memory performance. Regarding the divided attention, the difference between non-addict group and opium addict and heroin crack addict groups is significant. Regarding the concentrated attention with high processing rate and low processing rate, there is a significant difference between non-addict group and opium addict and heroin crack addict groups.

The brain's prefrontal segment which is responsible for controlling and processing stimuli shows most injury by heroin crack abuse in duties, which requires rapid processing or delay processing for stimulus storage. It is suggested that researchers explore the pathological and physiological abuses by using advanced imaging and functional evaluation techniques in the future.