PMID- 22389081
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20120626
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 1099-1077 (Electronic)
IS  - 0885-6222 (Linking)
VI  - 27
IP  - 2
DP  - 2012 Mar
TI  - The effects of multitasking on psychological stress reactivity in recreational 
      users of cannabis and MDMA.
PG  - 167-76
LID - 10.1002/hup.1261 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Cannabis and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use is 
      associated with psychobiological and neurocognitive deficits. Assessments of the 
      latter typically include tests of memory and everyday cognitive functioning. 
      However, to date, little attention has been paid to effects of drug use on 
      psychological stress reactivity. We report three studies examining the effects of 
      recreational use of cannabis and MDMA on mood and psychological responses to 
      multitasking using a cognitively demanding laboratory stressor that provides an 
      analogue for everyday situations involving responses to multiple stimuli. 
      METHODS: The effects of the multitasking framework on mood and perceived workload 
      were assessed in cannabis (N=25), younger (N=18) and older (N=20) MDMA users and 
      compared with non-target drug controls. RESULTS: Compared with respective control 
      groups, cannabis users became less alert and content, and both MDMA groups became 
      less calm following acute stress. Unexpectedly, the stressor increased ratings of 
      calm in cannabis users. Users also scored higher than their controls with respect 
      to ratings of resources needed to complete the multitasking framework. 
      CONCLUSIONS: These findings show, for the first time, that recreational use of 
      cannabis and MDMA, beyond the period of intoxication, can negatively influence 
      psychological responses to a multitasking stressor, and this may have 
      implications for real-life situations which place high demands on cognitive 
      resources.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FAU - Wetherell, Mark A
AU  - Wetherell MA
AD  - Health in Action: Stress Research Group, Department of Psychology, School of Life 
      Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK. 
      mark.wetherell@northumbria.ac.uk
FAU - Atherton, Katie
AU  - Atherton K
FAU - Grainger, Jessica
AU  - Grainger J
FAU - Brosnan, Robert
AU  - Brosnan R
FAU - Scholey, Andrew B
AU  - Scholey AB
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Hum Psychopharmacol
JT  - Human psychopharmacology
JID - 8702539
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Affect/drug effects
MH  - Age Factors
MH  - Cannabis/chemistry
MH  - Female
MH  - Hallucinogens/*adverse effects
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Marijuana Abuse/*physiopathology/psychology
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/*adverse effects
MH  - Neuropsychological Tests
MH  - Stress, Psychological/*etiology
MH  - Substance-Related Disorders/physiopathology
MH  - Workload/psychology
MH  - Young Adult
EDAT- 2012/03/06 06:00
MHDA- 2012/06/27 06:00
CRDT- 2012/03/06 06:00
PHST- 2012/03/06 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2012/03/06 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2012/06/27 06:00 [medline]
AID - 10.1002/hup.1261 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Hum Psychopharmacol. 2012 Mar;27(2):167-76. doi: 10.1002/hup.1261.