Differences in attention between methadone patients and abstinent problem heroin drug users frequenting a drug rehabilitation programme

Abstract

Cognitive deficits of attention have been associated with substance abuse. The present study assessed the degree to which the ability to concentrate and to sustain and shift attention is impaired in methadone patients and recovering heroin addicts who were all frequenting the same drug rehabilitation programme but were at different levels of their rehabilitation process. Test scores indicated a decrease in the ability to shift attention and to focus and tap on a sequential display of digits in the JED subtest and the RVIP subtest respectively of the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery (CANTAB) in the methadone group. Additionally, this decrease in performance ability was also visible in the more recently heroin addicts compared to the group who had been abstinent for a longer period of time. These findings indicate a progressive improvement in selective attention functions relative to drug-state and length of abstinence.