Abstract
Abuse of alcohol and drugs is a very important social problem [Horton & Horton, In R. C. D’Amato, E. Fletcher-Janzen, & C. R. Reynolds (Eds.). Handbook of school neuropsychology (pp. 596–613). New York, NY: Wiley, 2005; Horton, In: B. J. Rounsaville, F. M. Tims, A. M. Horton, & B. J. Sowder (Eds.). Diagnostic source book for drug abuse research and treatment (pp. 87–92). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993]. Research has documented that prolonged use of alcohol and illicit drugs can cause significant residual brain damage [Horton & Horton, In R. C. D’Amato, E. Fletcher-Janzen, & C. R. Reynolds (Eds.). Handbook of school neuropsychology (pp. 596–613). New York, NY: Wiley, 2005; Parsons & Farr, 1981, Yucel, Lubman, Solowij, & Brewer, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 957–968, 2007]. This chapter addresses the residual neuropsychological effects on men who have abused alcohol and other drugs. Aspects of alcohol and drug abuse and the residual effects of substance abuse in male populations with a focus on the brain will be discussed.
Substance abuse problems have a long history. Human beings have used alcohol and natural substances such as peyote from cacti, and leaves from the opium plant, and other substances to change their emotions for centuries. Pharmaceutical technology has added new drugs such as Morphine, Heroin, Cocaine, Amphetamine, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, Phencyclidine, and designer drugs such as Ecstasy with addiction potential. Research has documented that abusive use of alcohol and illicit drug use can cause significant brain damage [Allen & Landis, In P. J. Snyder & P. D. Nussbaum (Eds.), Clinical Neuropsychology: A pocket handbook for assessment (pp. 591–612). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1998].
Portions of this chapter were adapted from a chapter by Horton Jr. and Horton III (2008).
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Horton, A.M., Soper, H.V., McHale, T.J. (2015). Understanding the Neuropsychology of Substance Abuse in Men. In: Zaroff, C., D'Amato, R. (eds) The Neuropsychology of Men. Issues of Diversity in Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7615-4_6
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