Brookhaven Hospital: Mental Health Treatment for Behavioral Health Problems, Chemical Dependency, Eating Disorders, Brain Injuries, and Renewal Christian Treatment and Recovery

Tuesday, March 14, 2006 5:21 PM
posted by Michael Mason

Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Memory and Learning Deficits

It is well known that the use of drugs and alcohol have devastating effects, not only on the individual who is involved with using, but also on the family. The following study validates the assertion that long-term marijuana use has damaging effects on the mind. The analysis follows a group of users who consume the drug at least four days a week over a five-year period:

"PATRAS, Greece, March 13 - Heavy marijuana use for five years or more may impair memory and slow cognitive function, according to researchers here.

Compared with controls, persons who used marijuana at least four days a week had lower scores on a standardized test of verbal learning skills and were generally "slow learners," Lambros Messinis, Ph.D., and colleagues of University Hospital Patras reported in the March 14 issue of Neurology.

Moreover, while the impairment was greater among long term users -- those who regularly used marijuana for at least 10 years -- it was also evident among those who used for only five years, they wrote."

Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Memory and Learning Deficits
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Rolf B. Gainer, Ph.D., Diplomate ABDA, is the Chief Executive Office at Brookhaven Hospital and the Vice President of Rehabilitation Institutes of America. Dr. Gainer has been involved in the design and operation of treatment programs since 1977.

Stephen Harnish, MD is the Medical Director of Brookhaven Hospital. Dr. Harnish is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and is well known in Oklahoma for his informative radio and television appearances.

Aric Thorpe, MHR, is Brookhaven Hospital's Pastoral Liaison Representative. He conducts the quarterly Minister's Lifeline series and provides mental health information to pastors and clergy.

Sarah McGee serves as the Community Education Provider for Brookhaven Hospital. She provides information on mental health and drug and alcohol treatment to healthcare professionals in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

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