This paper presents some results of a study by the Southern California Research Institute of the effects of cocaine on psychological performance. 20 healthy men, aged 21 to 40, who were moderate cocaine users, were subjects in an acute dose study. At two test sessions a week apart, they received a 5mg dose (`placebo' condition) and a 96mg dose (active condition) in counterbalanced treatment order. At an initial non-test session, they took a 96mg dose, and provided blood samples 10min, 40min and 70min later. In each of the sessions, a one-hour test battery was administered twice, 15min and 3hr after the dose. The battery included tests of divided attention (DA), visual backward masking (VBM) and vigilance (VIG), and a digit symbol test (DST). Subjects completed the Profile of Mood States 85min and 250min after receiving a dose. Subjects were found to be more alert and attentive with 96mg of cocaine than with 5mg, and there was more benefit three hours after dosing. These findings do not clarify how cocaine influences driving or other complex performance. Therefore, additional studies are in progress, with higher doses, different dosing regimes, and different tasks.
Samenvatting