Paz, Andres L.

Widespread use of the illicit drug ecstasy (MDMA or 3,4-
Methylenedioxymethamphetarnine) and the possible neurological damage caused by its
abuse is disconcerting. This study examined possible cognitive impairments in ecstasy
users while controlling for polydrug use. The CANT AB neuropsychological tests was
used to test working memory capacity, immediate and delayed perceptual matching,
shifting of attention, episodic memory, and learning in current and previous ecstasy users
compared to non-ecstasy polydrug users. The prediction that current and heavy previous
ecstasy users would perform worse on the neuropsychological tests, when compared to
polydrug control group, denoting neurological damage was not confirmed. The previous
light ecstasy users' performance was also equivalent to the poly drug control group,
suggesting that excessive ecstasy use is required to reveal cognitive impairments .. The
results suggest that the amount of ecstasy consumed by the participants did not lead to
cognitive impairments in the brain regions investigated and supports a 'moderation idea'.

Research identifying the relationship between inhibition and binge drinking in
young adults is limited. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify which subcomponent(s)
of inhibitory performance is most sensitive at discerning binge-drinking behavior among
young adults through a longitudinal design. The sample consisted of 182 alcohol
consuming college students (48.3% male) with a mean age of 21.04±1.83 years.
Inhibitory processing and alcohol behavior were assessed at baseline and six months
later at follow-up. Alcohol behavior was also evaluated throughout participation via 13
biweekly alcohol logs. Multiple regression analysis revealed that interference inhibition
(Simon task) contributed to the prediction of the number of drinks consumed during
binge drinking occasion among males. These findings suggest that specific
subcomponents of response inhibition, and not others, are more suitable for predicting
alcohol consumption habits.

The current study aims to examine correlates between binge drinking behavior with licit and illicit drug use among college students. Thirty-seven undergraduates (6 male) completed questionnaires concerning alcohol consumption throughout the one month duration of the study. Participants performed three cognitive computer tasks at both baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2) assessment. At T2 participants also filled out a drug usage questionnaire. This study stems from a larger longitudinal pilot study. Strong correlations were found for increased cigarette use: the number of drinking days reported, r (34) = .442, p =.007, as well as non-binge drinking days and marijuana use, r (34) =.465, p =.004. Cigarette smokers were more likely than not to partake in multiple drinking behaviors. Marijuana was found to be used more on days in which binge drinking did not occur alluding to a preference to smoke rather than drink excessively while smoking marijuana.