College students who vape may be harming their ability to learn, remember and problem solve. A new study conducted at two universities in Ecuador found a link between e-cigarette use and lower cognitive function scores.
Researchers tested hundreds of Hispanic college students, 16 to 30 years of age. 64 of them vaped, while 31 smoked cigarettes. The remainder did both or neither.
The results -- students who only vaped scored a median of 24 and a low of 16. The researchers say anything below 25 may indicate cognitive impairment.
Vaping and smoking together was associated with the lowest scores – a median of 24 and a low of 8. Students who didn’t smoke or vape were the only ones whose median cognitive function was in the normal range.
The lead author says these findings are concerning given the popularity of vaping on campus. He says, “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.”
Previous research has found smoking can affect cognition by reducing brain volume and narrowing blood vessels, while nicotine can damage brain cells.
Source: Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA)
Author Affiliations: Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil
