Motivation and Attention in Marijuana Use and Withdrawal

描述（由申请人提供）：吸食大麻会损害记忆力、注意力和执行功能。这些损害随着长期使用而增加。虽然有几项研究报告了长期戒断后几天内残留的认知障碍，但大麻引起的认知能力缺陷在戒断期进一步延长的程度却很少得到研究。这些认知缺陷可能会被大麻对动机的残余损害效应进一步混淆。也就是说，在戒断大量使用大麻期间，认知表现的缺陷可能是由于处理能力的损害，表现良好的动机减弱，或者两者兼而有之。这项研究计划的目标是通过量化大麻戒断对记忆和注意力的影响来填补这两个关键的知识空白。我们将反复测试有大量大麻使用史的成年人在长期大麻使用之前和戒断期间的记忆和注意力。一组以前的轻度使用者将作为对照组。我们还将隔离动机驱动在大麻相关和戒断相关损伤中的作用。对准确表现的金钱奖励将被提供给大麻戒断的成年人和控制组。关键的因变量将是通过重复测试提高性能。在戒断期间的测试将与典型戒断综合征的上升（第1天），高峰（第3天）和下降（第7天和第21天）一致。通过量化认知障碍，然后将加工缺陷与努力消耗分离，本研究将进一步了解四氢大麻酚对戒断前后认知表现的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Marijuana use impairs memory, attention, and executive functioning. These impairments increase with long-term use. While several studies have reported residual cognitive impairments within days of abstinence from long-term use, the extent to which marijuana-induced cognitive performance deficits extend further into the abstinence period has received little study. These cognitive deficits may be further confounded by residual impairing effects of marijuana on motivation. That is, cognitive performance deficits during abstinence from heavy marijuana use may be due to impairment of processing ability, diminished motivation to perform well, or both. The goal of this research proposal is to fill these two critical knowledge gaps by quantifying marijuana withdrawal effects on memory and attention. We will repeatedly test memory and attention in marijuana-dependent adults with a heavy use history both before and during withdrawal from chronic marijuana use. A group of former light users will serve as a control group. We will also isolate the role of motivational drive in marijuana-related and withdrawal-related impairments. Monetary incentive for accurate performance will be provided to separate groups of marijuana abstinent adults and control subjects. The key dependent variable will be improvement of performance over repeated testing. Testing during abstinence will coincide with the ascent (day 1), peak (day 3), and descent (days 7 and 21) of the typical withdrawal syndrome. By quantifying cognitive impairment, then dissociating processing deficit from effort expended, the proposed studies will further our understanding of the effects of THC on cognitive performance before and after abstinence.