The Relationship between Cannabis Use and Cognition in People with Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Scoping Review
ABSTRACTBipolar disorder (BD) and cannabis use are highly comorbid and are each associated with cognitive impairment. It is therefore important to understand the relationship between cannabis use and cognition in people with BD, as cannabis use in BD may be associated with greater cognitive impairment. We performed a scoping review to determine how much and what is currently known in this field. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycINFO for studies on the relationship between cannabis and cognition in people with BD or relevant animal models. Six observational human studies met inclusion criteria. Two studies found cannabis use in BD was associated with better performance in some cognitive domains, while three studies found no association. One study found cannabis use in BD was associated with worse overall cognition. Overall, most identified studies suggest cannabis use is not associated with significant cognitive impairment in BD; however, the scope of knowledge in this field is limited, and more systematic studies are clearly required. Future studies should focus on longitudinal and experimental trials, as well as well-controlled observational studies with rigorous quantification of the onset, frequency, quantity, duration, and type of cannabis use.