The comprasi̇on of i̇ndi̇vi̇duals used cannabi̇s and syntheti̇c cannabi̇s and non-used accordi̇ng to the neuropsychologi̇cal functi̇ons

Although the observed rise about the use of drugs and stimulants and go into use the new synthetic substances is a socioeconomic matter, it causes to live variety of health problems for users. In our study, the losses of neurocognitive function caused by using cannabis and synthetic cannabis were studied on specific cognitive areas (attention and working memory, executive functions, visuospatial perception, learning and memory, planning and problem solving, word naming) and were described in comparision with healthy controller (control group). In our study, while 52 participants who applied to Ege University Faculty of Medicine Department of Mental Health and Mental Disorders Drug Addiction Treatment Center Clinic between March 2015 – February 2017 and used cannabis at least one year in the past and 51 participants who used synthetic cannabis at least one year in the past were participant groups with a history of substance use; 57 staff/student of Ege University with no history of any substance use were participants of control group. The research sample consisted of 160 participants. The features such as having mental retardation, comorbidity with a psychiatric disorder and treatment process other than addiction, a neurological disorder, head injury story in the past etc. were exclusion criteria of this research. The all sample group was consisted of men aged 18-35, and also 16 participants aged 36-54 were involved in the study in order to observe neuropsychological functions that changed with age. Counterbalancing technique was used to determine tests and session order in the testing session. Stroop Test for attention area, Raven Standart Progressive Matrices Test for executive functions area, Line Orientation Test and Cancellation Test for visuospatial perception area, Serial Digit Learning Test and Öktem Verbal Memory Progresses Scale for learning and memory area, The Tower of London Test for planning and problem solving skill, Boston Naming Test for word naming area were used. And also, Hacettepe Personality İnventory to determine the adaptation level of the subjects and Symptom Check List to examine the level of psychopathological symptoms were practiced. In our study, while the lowest perfomance on the ability of focused attention, visuospatial cognition, visual scanning, orientation, sustained attention, general ability, short-term memory, learning, long-term memory, word naming was shown by the participants with a history of synthetic cannabis use, the participants with a history of cannabis use had the lowest performance on the ability of response rate, perseveration, conceptualizing, abstract thinking, changing sets, recognition. A significant difference was not found between participants with a history of substance use and not on the ability of planning and problem solving. While duration of cannabis use affected word naming, perseveration, recognition and recall skills, duration of synthetic cannabis use affected learning and memory skills. If the quantity of substance used per week increased, an impairment was observed on the ability of sustained attention. It was observed that as the level of education and income of participants and the level of education of their parents increased, their test performance also increased. According to our study results, the group of the lowest level of adaptation and the highest level of psychopathological symptom were the participants with a history of synthetic cannabis use. Considering that one of the foregone conclusions of substance use is losses of cognitive function, it's a both known and expected fact that addicted people have social, academic, vocational, communicational problems and difficulties about adjusting the treatment. If addiction treatments are developed considering the losses of cognitive function, the effectiveness of the treatment will increase. Further studies on large samples and the use of controlled neuroimaging techniques are needed to search the losses of neurocognitive function caused by using substance more comprehensively. As the cognitive function loss differs on individual basis, it's neccessary to select the psychotherapy method and arrange the psychosocial rehabilitation personally. In conclusion, this study suggest that the addition of cognitive rehabilitation programs to mediccal and psychosocial improvement studies carried out in the field of addiction will increase of the success.