TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining Cognitive Functioning Following TASER Exposure
T2 - A Randomized Controlled Trial
AU - White, Michael
AU - Ready, Justin T.
AU - Kane, Robert J.
AU - Yamashiro, Carl
AU - Goldsworthy, Sharon
AU - Bonds Mcclain, Darya
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PY - 2015/7
Y1 - 2015/7
N2 - Summary: Individuals who experience electrical injury suffer significant, sometimes long-term deficits in neuropsychological functioning. The TASER, an electrical device used by thousands of police departments, generates a high-voltage (up to 50000V), low-amperage (2.1mA) current of electricity that is designed to disable a resistive criminal suspect. Questions have emerged regarding the potential for TASER exposure to cause impairment in cognitive functioning. In the current study, healthy human volunteers were randomly assigned to four groups, two of which received a TASER exposure. Participants completed a battery of cognitive tests before and after receiving their assigned treatment. Participants who received a TASER exposure experienced statistically meaningful declines in measures of verbal learning and memory, although deficits lasted less than 1hour. After TASER exposure, participants also self-reported significant difficulties with concentration, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed. Other dimensions of cognitive functioning were not affected. Our findings show that the effects of TASER exposure on brain functioning are not well understood.
AB - Summary: Individuals who experience electrical injury suffer significant, sometimes long-term deficits in neuropsychological functioning. The TASER, an electrical device used by thousands of police departments, generates a high-voltage (up to 50000V), low-amperage (2.1mA) current of electricity that is designed to disable a resistive criminal suspect. Questions have emerged regarding the potential for TASER exposure to cause impairment in cognitive functioning. In the current study, healthy human volunteers were randomly assigned to four groups, two of which received a TASER exposure. Participants completed a battery of cognitive tests before and after receiving their assigned treatment. Participants who received a TASER exposure experienced statistically meaningful declines in measures of verbal learning and memory, although deficits lasted less than 1hour. After TASER exposure, participants also self-reported significant difficulties with concentration, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed. Other dimensions of cognitive functioning were not affected. Our findings show that the effects of TASER exposure on brain functioning are not well understood.
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U2 - 10.1002/acp.3128
DO - 10.1002/acp.3128
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84947495200
SN - 0888-4080
VL - 29
SP - 600
EP - 607
JO - Applied Cognitive Psychology
JF - Applied Cognitive Psychology
IS - 4
ER -