Motor ability and attention span among individuals dependent on illicit psychotropic drugs

Abstract

Psychoactive substances act on the central nervous system producing mental and behavioral changes leading to clinical manifestations associated with drug abuse. Objective: To evaluate the motor ability and attention span among individuals dependent on psychotropic drugs, who were in treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Method: A single case study, whose unit of analysis was a hospital, assessed the motor skills and attention span of 10 male individuals addicted to illicit psychotropic drugs, with mean age of 31.9 ± 7.07 years and average hospitalization of 23.9 days. The following instruments were used: a structured socio-demographic interview, the Motor Scale for Elderly (EMTI) adapted, and the Trail Making Test (TMT A and B). The average age at first consumption was 15.1 years; and there was a slower performance in the TMT A and B in all age groups. In general motor ability, individuals were classified as follows: two “superior”, two “above average”, five “average”, and one “below average”. Results: Their temporal organization was the variable with the lowest performance. Conclusion: Attention deficits were encountered along with average general motor ability and a strong negative association or correlation between motor performance and attention span.