Introduction: What are memory problems under drugs?
One speaks of memory problems under the influence of drugs when a person has taken drugs and shows cognitive deficits in the intoxication or afterwards, i.e. has problems thinking. These include not only the temporary “film tear” after a party night, but also persistent disturbances of short and long-term memory due to permanent brain damage that drug use can cause.
Causes – Why do memory problems occur under drugs?
Drugs damage the entire body. But it is precisely the cognitive performance that suffers from continued consumption. To achieve their intoxicating effect, these substances have to cross the barrier between blood and brain, the so-called blood-brain barrier.
This serves to protect the central nervous system, since almost all substances that can be absorbed by the body and enter the blood damage the nerve cells. Due to their chemical structure, drugs can overcome this barrier and thus cause intoxication in the brain, but they can also cause damage. What exactly this damage looks like depends on the substance.
Alcohol, for example, is a deadly cell poison that causes the brain cells to die. All mental functions suffer from it, from memory to motor skills. Ecstasy, on the other hand, alters the metabolism of an important messenger substance, serotonin, and leads to brain damage via this mechanism.
Memory problems are particularly typical here. Cannabis use influences the short-term memory and logical thinking through various processes. Amphetamines, such as crystal meth, are also deadly for the nerve cells and have, in addition to memory and behavioral problems, much more serious consequences, such as cerebral hemorrhages or strokes.
Ecstasy, on the other hand, alters the metabolism of an important messenger substance, serotonin, and through this mechanism leads to brain damage. Memory problems are particularly typical here. Cannabis use influences the short-term memory and logical thinking through various processes. Amphetamines, such as crystal meth, are also deadly for the nerve cells and have, in addition to memory and behavioral problems, much more serious consequences, such as cerebral hemorrhages or strokes.
