September 16, 2024
Nicholas.T.Ansell/PA Images; Alamy Images; Sipa USA
College students who vape, smoke or do both perform worse on cognitive tests for learning, memory, problem solving and critical thinking than those who do not, new research shows. Above, a file photo of two young men vaping in 2020.
College students who vape score lower on tests of cognitive functions like learning, memory, problem solving and critical thinking than those who do not vape, new research shows.
The more frequently that students use electronic cigarettes, the bigger the gap between their cognitive functioning and that of students who don't vape, researchers reported Sunday at the American Neurological Association's annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. College students who vape and smoke cigarettes fared the worst in the cognitive assessments given by researchers.
Vaping is considered less harmful than smoking cigarettes, and is a way to transition away from traditional cigarettes, but medical experts say it is still harmful. Vaping is considered addictive and has been linked to chronic lung disease, asthma and cardiovascular disease. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive and toxic drug, and there are unknowns about the other chemicals in the vapor and how they may affect long-term health.
Research into the effects that vaping has on the brain have not been fully pursued. Smoking cigarettes has been found to affect cognitive function by reducing brain volume and narrowing blood vessels, which lessens blood flow and oxygen to the brain, the researchers said. Nicotine, which is present in cigarettes, can damage brain cells.
But the study presented at ANA is considered the first-of-its-kind, because research on vaping's relationship to cognitive function is scarce, the researchers said. Cognitive testing also is rarely performed on young people.
For the study, 405 college students in Ecuador, ages 18-30, were given cognitive assessment tests. Those who vaped, smoked cigarettes or both had lower overall scores than those who didn't vape or smoke. Students who vaped 10 to 20 puffs per day had scores that were 9.2% lower than those who did not vape or smoke, and those who vaped more than 20 puffs a day had scores that were 13.7% lower than those who didn't vape or smoke.
Researchers also found that, in some cases, people who vaped did so more often than if they had just smoked cigarettes.
"People in the study who had previously smoked cigarettes typically smoked three or four a week, but with vaping, they now smoke double, triple, or more, especially if they smoke and vape," Linker Viñan Paucar, lead author of the study, said in a release. "Electronic cigarettes with up to 20,000 puffs are supposed to last three months, but we found many students finished them before the first month and started using others."
E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And many of the people who vape as teenagers have trouble shaking the habit as they enter young adulthood.
The study's findings are considered preliminary because they have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, the study included only students who identified as Hispanic; future studies should include a broader demographic base, researchers said.
Follow Franki & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @wordsbyfranki
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
