Cognitive Function Impairments Linked to Alcohol and Cannabis Use During Adolescence: A Study of Gender Differences
Cognitive Function Impairments Linked to Alcohol and Cannabis Use During Adolescence: A Study of Gender Differences
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DOI：
10.3389/fnhum.2020.00095
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发表时间：
2020-04-07
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Conrod, Patricia J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Noorbakhsh, Simasadat;Afzali, Mohammad H.;Conrod, Patricia J.
主要的神经认知变化发生在青春期，使这一阶段成为生命中最关键的发育时期之一。此外，人生的这一阶段也是青少年开始使用物质的时期。一些研究表明，酒精和大麻的使用对男性和女性的神经认知功能都有不同的影响。过去和当代关于成瘾神经科学中性别影响的文献主要是基于横截面数据集和数据，这些数据在测量变异性方面是有限的。鉴于特定性别的影响在成瘾研究中的重要性，并为了解决上述文献中的两个空白，本研究的目的是在使用大麻和酒精的情况下比较男性和女性青少年的神经认知功能，同时采用多次重复测量的纵向设计。参与者是3826名高中生(47%为女性；平均年龄为12.7岁)，他们来自大蒙特利尔地区的31所高中。参与者被要求完成连续五年的年度调查，从7年级到11年级，评估他们的酒精/大麻使用情况和神经认知功能(工作记忆、延迟回忆记忆、知觉推理和抑制控制)。分析策略侧重于每个预测者(女性、男性)和每个结果(神经认知功能领域)之间的纵向联系。多水平线性模型评估了酒精和大麻消费与神经认知功能的四个领域之间的联系。结果通过受试者内部的互动揭示了性别，这表明与女性相比，大麻使用的年度波动对男性工作记忆的影响较弱。我们的发现表明，在青春期期间使用大麻后，女性和男性工作记忆的神经认知损害模式不同。早期开始使用大麻可能会导致女性青少年出现更多的空间工作记忆缺陷。这可能会对年轻女性在学术环境中的能力产生负面影响，并导致成年后的严重损伤，从而严重降低个人的生活质量。
Major neurocognitive changes occur during adolescence, making this phase one of the most critical developmental periods of life. Furthermore, this phase in life is also the time in which youth substance use begins. Several studies have demonstrated the differential associations of alcohol and cannabis use concerning the neurocognitive functioning of both males and females. Past and contemporary literature on gender-specific effects in neuroscience of addiction is predominantly based on cross-sectional datasets and data that is limited in terms of measurement variability. Given the importance of gender-specific effects in addiction studies, and in order to address the two above-mentioned gaps in the literature, the present study aimed to compare neurocognitive functioning of male and female adolescents in the context of cannabis and alcohol use, while employing a longitudinal design with multiple repeated measurements. Participants were 3,826 high school students (47% female; mean age, 12.7), who were recruited from 31 high schools in the greater Montreal area. Participants were requested to complete annual surveys for five consecutive years, from 7th to 11th grade, assessing their alcohol/cannabis use and neurocognitive functioning (working memory, delayed recall memory, perceptual reasoning, and inhibition control). The analytical strategy focused on the longitudinal association between each predictor (female, male) and each of the outcomes (domains of neurocognitive functioning). Multilevel linear models assessed the association of alcohol and cannabis consumption and the four domains of neurocognitive functioning. Results revealed a gender by within-subject interaction, suggesting a weaker effect of yearly fluctuation of cannabis use on working memory among males compared to females. Our findings suggest a different pattern of neurocognitive impairment of female and male working memory after using cannabis over the course of adolescence. Early initiation of cannabis use potentially results in more spatial working memory deficits in female adolescents. This may negatively influence young females' capacity in academic settings and lead to significant impairment in adulthood, which critically decreases the individual's quality of life.