Tobacco Use and Cognitive Functioning in Veterans of the Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan

ABSTRACT

Tobacco use is a prevalent problem in the general population as well as among military veterans. Despite the fact that tobacco users are at an increased risk of many medical and psychiatric comorbidities, the risk of cognitive impairment in younger active tobacco users is less studied. Military veterans from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (n = 113) were administered a neuropsychological protocol. Even after controlling for the severity of PTSD symptoms, tobacco use was negatively related to performance on measures of processing speed, memory, and executive functioning. The current findings have implications for the neuropsychological evaluation of tobacco users.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by salary and research support from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.