Implicit and explicit affective associations towards cannabis use in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia and healthy controls

BackgroundCannabis use is common in patients with recent-onset schizophrenia and this is associated with poor disease outcome. More insight in the cognitive-motivational processes related to cannabis use in schizophrenia may inform treatment strategies. The present study is the first known to compare implicit and explicit cannabis associations in individuals with and without psychotic disorder.MethodParticipants consisted of 70 patients with recent-onset psychotic disorder and 61 healthy controls with various levels of cannabis use. Three Single-Category Implicit Association Tests (SC-IAT) were used to assess ‘relaxed’, ‘active’ and ‘negative’ implicit associations towards cannabis use. Explicit expectancies of cannabis use were assessed with a questionnaire using the same words as the SC-IAT.ResultsThere were no differences in implicit associations between patients and controls; however, patients scored significantly higher on explicit negative affect expectancies than controls. Both groups demonstrated strong negative implicit associations towards cannabis use. Explicit relaxed expectancies were the strongest predictors of cannabis use and craving. There was a trend for implicit active associations to predict craving.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that patients suffering from schizophrenia have associations towards cannabis similar to controls, but they have stronger negative explicit cannabis associations. The strong negative implicit associations towards cannabis could imply that users of cannabis engage in a behaviour they do not implicitly like. Explicit relaxing expectancies of cannabis might be an important mediator in the continuation of cannabis use in patients and controls.

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Implicit and Explicit Self-Identification as a Drug User in People Who Used Heroin and Methamphetamine

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685110 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jianyong Chen ◽

Meng Zhang ◽

Jifan Zhou ◽

Xinyu Li ◽

Feng Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Drug User ◽

Implicit Association Test ◽

Drug Users ◽

Implicit Associations ◽

Self Identity ◽

Frequency Of Use ◽

Collective Group ◽

Single Category ◽

Implicit And Explicit

Implicit and explicit self-identification as a drug user specific to the substance used (e.g., viewing oneself as a drinker) have been examined, as they relate to that drug use. However, studies have rarely explored whether identifying as a “drug user” differs implicitly and explicitly for people who use different drugs and how this identification relates to drug-use behaviors or abstinence. This study examined implicit and explicit self-identification as a “drug user” and their associations with drug-use behaviors and abstinence in people who used heroin (PWUH) and people who used methamphetamine (PWUM). Forty PWUH and 35 PWUM in a rehabilitation facility completed the single category implicit association test (SC-IAT), which evaluated implicit associations of a “drug user” with “self,” and a measure of explicit self-identification as a “drug user.” Prior drug-use behaviors and current abstinence duration of the participants were assessed. PWUH demonstrated stronger implicit “self + drug user” associations and higher levels of explicit self-identification as a “drug user” than PWUM. A higher frequency of drug use was associated with higher levels of explicit drug-user self-identity, and longer abstinence duration was positively related to stronger implicit “self + drug user” associations in PWUH. The drug type of heroin (vs. methamphetamine) participants used was associated with a higher frequency of use, which, in turn, predicted higher levels of explicit drug-user self-identity. Given that the PWUH group differs from the PWUM group in terms of implicit and explicit self-identification as “drug users,” it would be more appropriate to address drug-user self-identity of individuals according to the substance they use rather than as a collective group.

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Association between age of cannabis initiation and gray matter covariance networks in recent onset psychosis

Neuropsychopharmacology ◽

10.1038/s41386-021-00977-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nora Penzel ◽

◽

Linda A. Antonucci ◽

Linda T. Betz ◽

Rachele Sanfelici ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gray Matter ◽

Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽

Brain Networks ◽

Developmental Trajectory ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Brain Maturation ◽

Confounding Factors ◽

Recent Onset ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Structural Brain

AbstractCannabis use during adolescence is associated with an increased risk of developing psychosis. According to a current hypothesis, this results from detrimental effects of early cannabis use on brain maturation during this vulnerable period. However, studies investigating the interaction between early cannabis use and brain structural alterations hitherto reported inconclusive findings. We investigated effects of age of cannabis initiation on psychosis using data from the multicentric Personalized Prognostic Tools for Early Psychosis Management (PRONIA) and the Cannabis Induced Psychosis (CIP) studies, yielding a total sample of 102 clinically-relevant cannabis users with recent onset psychosis. GM covariance underlies shared maturational processes. Therefore, we performed source-based morphometry analysis with spatial constraints on structural brain networks showing significant alterations in schizophrenia in a previous multisite study, thus testing associations of these networks with the age of cannabis initiation and with confounding factors. Earlier cannabis initiation was associated with more severe positive symptoms in our cohort. Greater gray matter volume (GMV) in the previously identified cerebellar schizophrenia-related network had a significant association with early cannabis use, independent of several possibly confounding factors. Moreover, GMV in the cerebellar network was associated with lower volume in another network previously associated with schizophrenia, comprising the insula, superior temporal, and inferior frontal gyrus. These findings are in line with previous investigations in healthy cannabis users, and suggest that early initiation of cannabis perturbs the developmental trajectory of certain structural brain networks in a manner imparting risk for psychosis later in life.

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Effects of cannabis use on event related potentials in subjects at ultra high risk for psychosis and healthy controls

International Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2013.03.012 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 88 (2) ◽

pp. 149-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mirjam J. van Tricht ◽

Emma C. Harmsen ◽

Johannes H.T.M. Koelman ◽

Lo J. Bour ◽

Thérèse A. van Amelsvoort ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Ultra High Risk ◽

Related Potentials

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Study of Guillain-Barre syndrome etiology in Pakistani patients

Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association ◽

10.47391/jpma.202 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rashid Iqbal ◽

Muhammad Javaid Asad ◽

Saima Siddiqi ◽

Raja Tahir Mahmood ◽

Muhamamd Baseer Shah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Nerve Conduction ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Guillain Barre Syndrome ◽

Clinical Feature ◽

Interleukin 17 ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Female Ratio ◽

Guillain Barré Syndrome ◽

Guillain Barré

Objective: To examine clinical features, biochemical markers, demographic features, antecedent infections, frequency and treatment strategies. Methods: This case-control study was conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Pakistan and District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), Rawalpindi, Pakistan from 2018 to 2020. Ninety consecutive patients of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and 77 healthy controls were enrolled. Patients were diagnosed by clinical presentation, Nerve conduction study (NCS), Electromyography (EMG), Cerebrospinal fluid analysis (CSF) and biochemical profile. Data was analyzed on IBM SPSS version 23. Results: Symmetrical ascending weakness was the striking clinical feature. Mean age was 40.20±14.90 years and male to female ratio was 2.1:1. Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) was found to be the most common electrophysiological variant of GBS (46%). There was considerable difference in Interleukin-17(IL-17) levels between GBS patients 23.12 ± 3.41 pg/ml and healthy controls 8.82 ± 2.49. Mean IL-17 level was markedly increased in GBS patients, P=0.006, P<0.05. Gastrointestinal infection was the most common preceding infection (56.66%). Mean CSF protein was 100.83 g/dl with ± 51.32 standard deviation and albumio cytologic dissociation (ACD) was different in all four variants of GBS, P= 0.005. Conclusion: GBS was presented by all ages. Males were more affected than females. About two third of GBS patients showed an antecedent infection before GBS onset. Increased levels of cytokine (IL-17) showed involvement of autoimmunity. ACD differentiated it from poliomyelitis. Plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy were used to treat patients. Key words: Guillain-Barré Syndrome; cerebrospinal fluid; albuminocytologic dissociation; nerve conduction studies; variants; electromyography Continuous....

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Impact of Chronic Cannabis Use on Auditory Mismatch Negativity Generation in Schizophrenia Patients

Pharmacopsychiatry ◽

10.1055/a-0573-9866 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 52 (03) ◽

pp. 126-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Patrik Roser ◽

Eva-Maria Pichler ◽

Benedikt Habermeyer ◽

Wolfram Kawohl ◽

Georg Juckel

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Mismatch Negativity ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Oddball Paradigm ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Characteristic Finding ◽

Auditory Oddball ◽

Cannabis Use Disorders ◽

Auditory Oddball Paradigm

Abstract Introduction Cannabis use disorders (CUD) are highly prevalent among patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). Deficient mismatch negativity (MMN) generation is a characteristic finding in SCZ patients and cannabis users. This study therefore examined the effects of CUD on MMN generation in SCZ patients. Methods Twenty SCZ − CUD patients, 21 SCZ+CUD patients, and 20 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. MMN to frequency and duration deviants was elicited within an auditory oddball paradigm and recorded by 32 channel EEG. Results As expected, SCZ − CUD patients showed reduced frontocentral MMN amplitudes to duration deviants compared to HC. Interestingly, SCZ+CUD patients demonstrated greater MMN amplitudes to duration deviants compared to SCZ − CUD patients at central electrodes with no differences compared to HC. Discussion These results demonstrate that comorbid cannabis use in SCZ patients might be associated with superior cognitive functioning. It can be assumed that the association between cannabis use and better cognitive performance may be due to a subgroup of cognitively less impaired SCZ patients characterized by lower genetic vulnerability for psychosis.

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Age at onset of non-affective psychosis in relation to cannabis use, other drug use and gender

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291712000062 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (9) ◽

pp. 1903-1911 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

N. Dekker ◽

J. Meijer ◽

M. Koeter ◽

W. van den Brink ◽

N. van Beveren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Drug Use ◽

Psychotic Disorder ◽

Age At Onset ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Psychotic Illness ◽

Affective Psychosis ◽

The Mean ◽

And Gender ◽

Independent Effects

BackgroundCannabis use is associated with an earlier age at onset of psychotic illness. The aim of the present study was to examine whether this association is confounded by gender or other substance use in a large cohort of patients with a non-affective psychotic disorder.MethodIn 785 patients with a non-affective psychotic disorder, regression analysis was used to investigate the independent effects of gender, cannabis use and other drug use on age at onset of first psychosis.ResultsAge at onset was 1.8 years earlier in cannabis users compared to non-users, controlling for gender and other possible confounders. Use of other drugs did not have an additional effect on age at onset when cannabis use was taken into account. In 63.5% of cannabis-using patients, age at most intense cannabis use preceded the age at onset of first psychosis. In males, the mean age at onset was 1.3 years lower than in females, controlling for cannabis use and other confounders.ConclusionsCannabis use and gender are independently associated with an earlier onset of psychotic illness. Our findings also suggest that cannabis use may precipitate psychosis. More research is needed to clarify the neurobiological factors that make people vulnerable to this precipitating effect of cannabis.

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Self-Esteem Evaluation in Children and Adolescents Suffering from ADHD

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health ◽

10.2174/1745017901309010096 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 96-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Luigi Mazzone ◽

Valentina Postorino ◽

Laura Reale ◽

Manuela Guarnera ◽

Valeria Mannino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

The Relationship ◽

Drug Free

Background: Several recent studies investigated the relationship between self-esteem and ADHD, however, the results are still controversial. In the present study we analyze the characteristics of self-esteem in a sample of children and adolescents suffering from ADHD, with a particular focus on the relationship between ADHD symptoms severity and treatment strategies. Methods: A total of 85 patients with ADHD (44 drug-free and 41 drug-treated, 23 of which atomoxetine-treated and 18 Methylphenidate-treated) and 26 healthy controls were enrolled in the study in order to evaluate self-esteem using the Self-esteem Multidimensional Test (TMA). Results: ADHD subjects revealed lower scores on all self-esteem domains compared to controls. Both ADHD drug-free (47.1%) and ADHD drug-treated (44.1%) groups showed significantly higher rates of subjects in the pathological range as compared to normal control group (8.8%) (p <.001) with a higher percentage of subjects in the pathological range. Among ADHD drug-treated subjects, the methylphenidate group showed higher self-esteem scores as compared to the atomoxetine group. Conclusion: A lower self-esteem profile is more common in subjects suffering from ADHD than in healthy controls, suggesting the importance of an early detection of psychological well-being in these children in order to reduce the ADHD symptoms long-term impacts.

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