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Subject Area

Otorhinolaryngology

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objectives To measure relation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and executive function in cannabinoid addiction. Background In the United States, marijuana (Cannabis sativa) was the most commonly used illicit substance, the use of which usually started in the adolescence period. Patients and methods A case–controlled study was conducted on 40 addicts and 40 healthy individuals from 18 to 60 years who were recruited from both community (street) and hospital-based sampling in three Egyptian governorates from the October 1, 2017 to the end of March 2018. The control group comprised 40 healthy individuals who were selected after being age and sex matched with addicts. Patients were subjected to proper history taking, general medical and neurological examination to exclude medical and neurological complications, detection of severity of addiction according to addiction severity index, level of serum BDNF in both groups, and also executive function in both groups before and after treatment. Results There was no significant difference between cases and control regarding their age (P = 0.338). A total of 16 (40%) male addict patients were studied and 24 (60%) female addict patients. There was no significant difference between cases and controls regarding their sex (P = 0.644). The addict patients' BDNF 1 mean value was 231.12 ± 286.86 s, whereas BDNF 2 was 248.91 ± 55.01 s. There was a highly significant difference between cases and controls regarding their BDNF 1 and BDNF 2 (P < 0.001 and 0.007, respectively). There was a highly significant difference between cases and controls regarding their executive function 1 and executive function 2 (P < 0.001 for both). Conclusion Cannabinoid drugs are associated with impairment in executive function regardless of the level of BDNF.

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