The association between chronic alcohol, cannabis, and opioids use and autobiographical memory impairments: a systematic review

TL;DR

This review finds that long-term use of alcohol, cannabis, and opioids is linked to impaired autobiographical memory, which affects personal identity and future planning.

Contribution

This is the first systematic review to focus on the link between chronic substance use and autobiographical memory impairments.

Findings

Chronic users of alcohol, cannabis, and opioids retrieved fewer specific autobiographical memories compared to controls.

AM impairments may be connected to executive dysfunction caused by daily psychoactive substance use.

The review highlights the need for further research to explore the clinical relevance of these findings for treatment planning.

Abstract

Evidence suggests an association between chronic psychoactive substance use and memory deterioration. Autobiographical memory (AM) is one form of long-term memory that is captured through specific personal information. Exploring potential causes of AM impairment is crucial as these memories shape identity and are important for problem solving and imagining the future. This is the first systematic review to primarily assess the association between chronic psychoactive substance use, including cannabis, alcohol, and opioids, and AM impairment. Additionally, associations between AM performance and secondary outcome measures encompassing mental health, severity and pattern of substance use, cognitive and emotional functions, Theory of Mind and Fading Affect Bias were also explored in this paper.

.An extensive literature search was conducted using PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The review covered articles from 2003 to 2025 obtained from searching 10 global databases. Relevant articles were then screened for eligibility based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the systematic review. They were also screened for bias and quality. This resulted in 13 papers being narratively synthesized.

The narrative synthesis showed a strong association between the chronic use of different substances (e.g. alcohol, cannabis, opioids) and AM impairments. Those chronically using alcohol, cannabis, and opioids consistently retrieved less specific and more general AMs compared to controls. It could also be postulated that AM impairments may be related to executive dysfunctions caused by the daily consumption of psychoactive substances. However, direct causality cannot be inferred due to the cross-sectional design of the studies pooled for the current review.

Future research needs to expand further the association between chronic psychoactive substance use and AM impairments as this will be clinically relevant for treatment planning in this population.

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