Inhibitory control failures and blunted cortisol response to psychosocial stress in amphetamine consumers after 6 months of abstinence.

Background: Amphetamine abuse has been conceived as an addictive illness where stress regulation and inhibitory control may be crucial factors determining chronicity and relapse. Since amphetamine consumption may disrupt the cerebral systems regulating inhibition and stress behaviors, deregulation on these systems may be expected even after long-term abstinence periods. The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of abstinent amphetamine consumers to regulate stress parameters and to inhibit cognitive patterns under the acute trier social stress test (TSST) paradigm.