NARCOTICS ON COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING 2

The present study examined the impact of narcotics and the dosage on cognition. Participants included 289 patients from a database of those previously staying in the Community Living Center at the Ann Arbor VA. These patients included in the study scored greater than 23 on the Mini-Mental Status Exam, scored less than 8 on the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale, were ages 60 and older, and had not been administered sedatives the day of testing with a neuropsychology testing battery. The patients ’ scores on several different cognitive tests were compared between those who were administered narcotics on the day of testing and those who were not. Scores were also correlated with morphine equivalent doses of narcotics to see if higher doses of narcotics had greater impairment on cognition. Neither administration of narcotics nor the dose of narcotics had a significant impairment on cognition. The results of the study indicated that the prescribed doses of narcotics in the current setting do not have impairing effects on patients ’ performance on cognitive testing