Illicit drugs affect the central nervous system by introducing alterations in cognitive, attention and memory functions. AIM: this paper aims to characterize the auditory selective attention skills of subjects with history of illicit drug use and check whether the amount of time for which these subjects took drugs impacts the severity of the encountered alterations. MATERIALS AND METHOD: this is a cohort, cross-sectional retrospective study. Nineteen male subjects with history of drug use and ages ranging between 16 and 47 years were analyzed. Statistical test: 'Mann-Whitney'. PROCEDURE: initial interview, ENT examination, audiological examination, auditory processing assessment - Staggered Spondaic Word Test - SSW. RESULTS: extremely significant statistical differences were found in the number of errors found in the four listening conditions when control and case group findings were compared. However, when case group subject findings were compared, no statistically significant difference was found. CONCLUSION: the used auditory processing tests - SSW - were sensitive enough to capture and assist in the diagnosis of alterations introduced by the deleterious impact of drug use upon the CNS. The time for which subjects used drugs is not a determining factor on alteration severity.
attention; hearing; auditory cortex; drugs
