Drug abuse trends in northwest mexico: Correlations between drug abuse and cognitive impairment

Abstract

Introduction: Drug abuse screening tests (DAST) are a useful tool in decision making regarding the planning and implementation of drug-related public health policies. In addition, they constitute a rapid way to obtain data on the effects of drug consumption in specific populations. Objective: To describe the correlation between drug abuse (per type of drug) and cognitive dysfunction prevalence based on the information reported in a DAST. Materials and methods: A DAST was administered to 1299 individuals from 5 cities in Baja California, Mexico. In addition, an internal consistency reliability test was conducted to determine the internal consistency level of the instrument. Results: Several correlations between the consumption of different drugs were found. The main associations were found between methamphetamine and marijuana consumption. In addition, a positive correlation between the age at first drug use and cognitive impairment was found. Conclusions: DAST are brief administration instruments that allow obtaining data on drug abuse and drug addiction patterns. In addition, they can be used to identify the interaction between the consumption patterns of different drugs and the possible association between age at first drug use and cognitive dysfunction.