The Effectiveness of Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation in Improving Response Inhibition and Working Memory in Adolescents with Tendency to Substance Use

Objective: The current study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of computerized cognitive rehabilitation in improving response inhibition and working memory in adolescents with tendency to substance use. Method: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The study population included all 15-18-year-old adolescents living in Tabriz, of whom 30 people were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The subjects of the experimental group received the computerized cognitive rehabilitation program for twelve 30-minute sessions. The research tool included the adolescents’ deficits in executive functioning scale and the substance use tendency questionnaire. The multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. Results: The results revealed that there was a significant difference between the control and experimental groups in the post-test scores of response inhibition and working memory after adjusting for the pre-test effect of response inhibition and working memory. Conclusion: Based on the present research, it can be suggested that computerized cognitive rehabilitation can increase response inhibition and working memory in adolescents with tendency to substance use.