Scientists from the Catholic University of Ecuador discovered that electronic cigarettes reduce cognitive abilities more than traditional cigarettes. But the most dangerous thing for brain health is the combination of these two bad habits.
Oku.Az reports that the results of the study were presented at the 149th annual meeting of the American Neurological Association (ANA).
405 Hispanic students participated in the study. They were asked to complete the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), which is widely used to detect cognitive impairment. The questions on this test are aimed at assessing memory, visuospatial skills, language and abstract thinking, executive functions, attention, and orientation in time and space.
The results showed that students who smoked neither regular nor e-cigarettes had an average MoCA score of 26. Participants who used e-cigarettes scored an average of 24 points, while regular smokers scored an average of 25 points. The lowest indicators of cognitive health were shown by students who used both regular and e-cigarettes.