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Aims Prospective memory ( PM: remembering future intentions and activities) is critical to everyday remembering. This study compared a group of never-smokers who reported regular exposure to second-hand smoke (the SHS group) with a group of current smokers (the CS group) and a group of never-smokers who reported never having been exposed to SHS (the non- SHS group) on objective PM. Design An existing groups design was employed to compare the SHS, CS and non- SHS groups. Participants and setting Twenty-four SHS, 27 CS and 28 non- SHS were tested on objective PM. All participants were university undergraduates aged between 18-30 years. All participants were tested individually in a laboratory setting. Measurements The Cambridge Prospective Memory Test ( CAMPROMPT) was used to assess objective PM. Age, other drug use, mood and IQ were also measured as covariates in the study. Findings The non- SHS group recalled significantly more time-based PM tasks than the SHS group (means = 16.3 versus 13.7, P < 0.001) and significantly more than the CS group ( CS mean = 11.6, P < 0.001); and the SHS group recalled significantly more time-based tasks than the CS group ( P < 0.002). The non- SHS group recalled significantly more event-based PM tasks than the CS group (means = 15.2 versus 11.3, P < 0.002) with no significant difference between the non- SHS group and SHS group ( SHS mean = 14.3, P = 0.234); and the SHS group recalled significantly more event-based tasks than the CS group ( P < 0.001). Conclusion Non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke may suffer impairment in time-based prospective memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to examine prospective memory impairments associated with cannabis use in young adults. An independent measures design utilising pre-existing groups of users and non-users was employed in which an opportunity sample of 90 undergraduates studying at universities in the north east of England participated. The number of prospective memory failures reported on the Prospective Memory Questionnaire and the number of location-action combinations correctly recalled during a video-based prospective memory task were measured. The number of strategies used to assist memory, level of anxiety and depression, and use of alcohol, nicotine and any other recreational drugs in addition to cannabis were also measured and controlled during the analysis. Analysis revealed no significant differences in the number of self-reported prospective memory failures; however, cannabis users recalled significantly fewer location-action combinations than non-users in the video-based prospective memory task. The findings from the present study suggest that cannabis use has a detrimental effect on prospective memory ability in young adults but users may not be aware of these deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic use of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), or ‘ecstasy’, is associated with significant cognitive impairments, particularly in laboratory and field tests of memory for previously encoded material. Less is known about the effects of a history of MDMA use on aspects of everyday cognitive functioning–of which prospective memory (typically characterised as ‘remembering to do something at some future point’) is an important aspect. Self-ratings of prospective memory among 30 regular ecstasy users (taking the drug 10 or more times per month) and 31 ecstasy-free controls were compared. Each participant completed the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, which measures self-rated error frequencies relating to three aspects of prospective memory (short-term habitual, long-term episodic and internally cued); the scale also records the use of strategies to aid remembering. Compared with non-users, ecstasy users reported significantly more self-rated errors in prospective memory, an effect which was evident after co-varying levels of other drug use. There were no significant differences in the use of strategies to aid memory. These findings provide new insights into prospective memory dysfunction in recreational drug users. Prospective memory deficits may be related to the reported serotonergic and frontal lobe deficits in chronic MDMA users. It is necessary to use more objective tasks to assess putative prospective memory deficits in ecstasy users. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study explored everyday prospective memory deficits associated with excessive alcohol use in teenagers aged 16–19 years. Excessive and low-dose alcohol users completed the Prospective Memory Questionnaire, which measures self-reported everyday memory errors. After controlling for other drug use, excessive users reported significantly more everyday memory errors than low-dose controls. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

— Chronic alcohol abuse has a detrimental effect on retrospective memory. Less is known about its putative effects on everyday memory. This study looked at self-ratings of prospective memory (PM) (memory for future events). After controlling for other drug and strategy use, chronic heavy alcohol users showed global impairments in PM, when compared to matched controls. The underlying mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]