Comparative analysis of dysfunctions in the III block of the brain in men with various types of drug addiction

Abstract

Introduction. Drug addiction is a worldwide problem in contemporary society. The lack of neuropsychological information on the characteristic features of higher mental functions in men with various types of drug addiction, as well as the social significance of the problem represent unmet needs necessitating a comprehensive solution. The article provides findings of a comparative study of the functional state of the third block of the brain in healthy drug-dependent men.

Methods. The study used methods of neuropsychological diagnostic assessment of A. R. Luria (modified by T. V. Akhutina), and of statistical analysis (descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance SPSS for Windows).

Results. The programming and control functions, the function of the serial organization of movements and speech were studied, statistically significant differences between healthy and sick men were determined. No significant differences were found between groups of drug users depending on the specific drug.

Discussion. The findings of the study demonstrate the impairing effects of opioids and cannabinoids on the functions of the third block. The changes were mostly related to the ability to master a program and to automate motor skills, to act complying with voice instructions and to switch over according to their modifications. No significant differences in revealed disorders were observed between subjects with different types of drug addiction. However, an analysis of the individual characteristics of the task performance showed that opioid addicts, as well as addicts with the combined use of different drugs, more often made mistakes when performing experimental tasks compared to cannabinoid-addicted patients. Moreover, mistakes made by the subjects of the former groups were rougher and more repetitive. There is evidence in the available literature consistent with our findings and contradicting them. Further research is needed to clarify these issues.