The comparison of executive functions between active users of methamphetamine and those in abstinence phase

BACKGROUND: Addiction to stimuli causes malfunction and morphologic changes in the nervous system. Representation of these changes in exclusive functions is accompanied by contradictory findings. This study was conducted aiming to compare the executive functions of two groups of users and non-users of methamphetamine in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: This study was conducted in the form of a case–control study from October 2014 to March 2014. In this regard, 30 men who were active users of methamphetamine and 35 men who were in abstinence phase in Tehran were selected using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method and assigned into two groups. The executive functions of the two groups were evaluated using the software version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the data were analyzed using t-test and chi-square test using SPSS software. RESULTS: The exclusive function index in methamphetamine users significantly decreased in comparison with the control group. Also, the preservation errors in consumer group were greater than the control group (P < 0.050). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that exclusive functions in stimulant users were associated with significant damage. Considering the importance of executive functions as a mediating factor in the recurrence of consumption, it is desirable to decrease the function of this index in the treatment of dependence to methamphetamine to be on the center of clinical attention.