OBJECTIVE: Shisha smoking is becoming highly prevalent and is a predominant mode of tobacco use particularly amongst the young generation around the globe. This study aims to investigate whether or not shisha smoking impairs the cognitive functioning in adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We recruited 65 (32 control subjects and 33 shisha smokers) apparently healthy male volunteers. The first group consisted of 33 volunteer male shisha smoker subjects with mean age 24.45±2.93 (mean ± SD) years. The second group consists of 32 subjects with mean age 23.31±2.68 (mean ± SD) years who did not smoke shisha. Age, gender, weight, height, ethnicity, educational and socioeconomic status of a matched design was used to appraise the impact of shisha smoking on cognitive functions. The cognitive function’s outcome variables were the response time (Attention Switching Task-AST), (Complex Reaction Time-CRT task) and the percentage of correct answers (Pattern Recognition Memory PRM-task). Cognitive functions were assessed by using Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Battery (CANTAB). RESULTS: Shisha smokers showed significant decline in cognitive performances AST-Latency (p=0.03); AST-Congruent (p=0.05); AST-Incongruent (p=0.05); mean CRT (p=0.001); CRT % (p=0.01); PRM (p=0.024) compared to their matched control. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive functions including attention, alertness, and memory were significantly impaired in healthy adult shisha smokers compared to non-shisha smokers.
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