Betel Quid Dependence Effects on Working Memory and Remote Memory in Chewers with Concurrent Use of Cigarette and Alcohol

Abstract

Rationale: Betel quid (BQ) is regarded as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Although there are many BQ chewers across Asian-Pacific areas, studies addressing the effects of BQ chewing on memory remain rare. Objective The current study asked whether BQ dependence level could affect working memory (WM) and remote memory for the chewers with concurrent use of cigarettes and alcohol, a common phenomenon in Taiwan. Methods The standardized neuropsychological tests (Wechsler Memory Scale III (WMS-III) and Remote Memory Test) were adopted to address the BQ chewers’ verbal WM, spatial WM and remote memory. The Spatial Span Test and the Digit Span Test from WMS-III and the Remote Memory Test were adopted. The Betel Nut Dependency Scale (BNDS), the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were adopted to measure the dependence levels. Results The BQ dependence level and Last BQ did not affect spatial WM, verbal WM, and remote memory. Last Cigarette is critical in affecting WM; namely, longer interval led to worse performance. Finally, higher alcohol dependence level could lead to better remote memory. Conclusions To our knowledge, there are no BQ studies addressing the effects of concurrent use of cigarettes and alcohol on memory. The current results suggest that cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking, rather than BQ chewing, are critical for memory performance.