Journal of School of Public Health and

Background and Aim: Both the cognitive and functional processes in an individual can be influenced directly by the central nervous system. Considering the widespread use of narcotics, an exact knowledge of the different dimensions of addiction and its relationship with the brain executive functions can help find strategies for its treatment and promote effectiveness of current intervention programs and optimization of functional activities and, ultimately, promotion of well-being and psychological dimensions in these patients. The purpose of this study was to compare the brain executive functions in two groups of addicts ─ those who have and those have not resumed using narcotics.      

Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of all the male-addicts consulting the addiction recovery/treatment centers in Tehran in 2013, who had used the narcotic methamphetamine (glass) in the past and had taken action to quit, as well as those who had, after quitting, resumed using narcotics. The sample in each group included 30 male-addicts who had given their consent. They were selected by the available sampling method. Diagnosis of addiction and classification of mental disorders in the subjects was based on a). the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), and b). assessment by specialists in the addiction recovery centers. The “Wisconsin Card" and "Stroop test" were used to collect data, and one-way analysis of variance test (ANOVA) was used for data analysis.

Results: The results indicated that executive functions of the brain as regards design flexibility, response inhibition, and conceptualizing addiction, as well as its general executive functioning, were weaker in the groups who had resumed addiction. 

Conclusion: Based on the findings it can be concluded that narcotics can weaken the brain executive functions in addicts and make them lose hope for any improvement. The findings support results of previous work reported in the literature; however, further research is needed in this area to make it possible to draw definitive conclusions.