Executive Functions and Decision Making regarding Drug Addicts in Abstinence

Research has demonstrated impairments in executive functions in drug addict communities, many studies show significant alterations in various executive function components in individuals with polydrug habits. On the other hand, drug addicts not only show a decreased executive function ability but a decre ased decision making ability as well. This study’s goal was to compare a drug addict community’s executive performance and decision making to those of a control group. And then make a correlation between the executive performance and decision making performance in the drug addict group alone. A total of 96 individuals took part in this research, out of which the experimental group consisted of 65 individuals of both sexes and with, at least three years of problematic usage of substances. For the purpose of evaluating the executive functioning, and, more precisely the decision making ability, a few neuropsychological tests were used that are considered to be pertinent to that purpose, namely and respectively the BADS and IGT. The obtained results showed that the drug addicts have decreased results in both tests when compared to the control group. Finally, the BADS profile score and the decision making performance in the IGT, in the drug addict group alone, when correlated, has showed a positive correlation. A worse cognitive profile seems to be synonymous with a worse decision making ability, which could lead to a greater difficulty in making important decisions, like choosing not to go back to drug consumption. This could point out the hypo thesis that drug addicts with a lower cognitive profile are more likely to return to drug consumption. Therefore, the need for future investigations addressing this matter arises.