Motivation and Attention in Marijuana Use and Withdrawal

描述(申请人提供)：吸食大麻会损害记忆力、注意力和执行功能。这些损伤会随着长期使用而增加。虽然有几项研究报告了长期使用大麻后几天内残留的认知障碍，但大麻导致的认知表现障碍在多大程度上会进一步延伸到戒毒期，几乎没有得到研究。这些认知缺陷可能会被大麻对动机的残余损害作用进一步混淆。也就是说，大量使用大麻戒除期间的认知表现缺陷可能是由于处理能力受损，或表现良好的动力减弱，或两者兼而有之。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知识空白。我们将反复测试在戒除长期使用大麻之前和期间有大量吸食史的大麻依赖成年人的记忆力和注意力。一组前轻量级使用者将作为控制组。我们还将分离动机驱动在大麻相关和戒断相关损伤中的作用。将为不同的大麻戒除者和对照受试者提供准确业绩的金钱奖励。关键的因变量将是重复测试的性能改进。禁欲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)相一致。通过量化认知损伤，然后将加工缺陷与努力消耗分离，所提出的研究将进一步加深我们对THC对戒断前后认知表现的影响的理解。

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.