Citation

Salo R, Nordahl TE, Moore C, Waters C, Natsuaki Y, Galloway GP, Kile S, Sullivan EV. Biol. Psychiatry 2005; 57(3): 310-313.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Imaging Research Center, University of California-Davis 95817, USA. resalo@ucdavis.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.10.035

PMID

15691533

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Selective attention comprises multiple, dissociable component processes, including task shifting and selective inhibition. The goal of this study was to test whether task-shifting, selective inhibition, or both processes were impaired in long-term but currently abstinent methamphetamine-dependent individuals. METHODS: Participants were 34 methamphetamine-dependent subjects and 20 nonsubstance abusing controls who were tested on an alternating-runs switch task with conflict sequences that required subjects to switch tasks on every second trial (AABBAABB). RESULTS: Methamphetamine-dependent individuals committed more errors on trials that required inhibition of distracting information compared with controls (methamphetamine = 17%; controls = 13%; p = .02). By contrast, error rates did not differ between the groups on switch trials (methamphetamine = 7%; controls = 6%; p = .68). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that selective inhibition, but not task switching, is selectively compromised by methamphetamine.

Language: en