Familial factors may not explain the effect of moderate‐to‐heavy cannabis use on cognitive functioning in adolescents: a sibling‐comparison study

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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Foster children’s cognitive functioning: A follow-up comparison study at 8 years of age

Children and Youth Services Review ◽

10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105342 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 118 ◽

pp. 105342

Author(s):

Heidi Jacobsen ◽

Tore Wentzel-Larsen ◽

Hans Bugge Bergsund

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Comparison Study

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Cannabis and cognitive performance in psychosis: a cross-sectional study in patients with non-affective psychotic illness and their unaffected siblings

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291711001656 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 705-716 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

J. H. Meijer ◽

N. Dekker ◽

M. W. Koeter ◽

P. J. Quee ◽

N. J. M. van Beveren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge Reasoning

BackgroundThe relationship between cannabis use and cognitive functioning in patients with psychosis has yielded contradictory findings. In individuals at genetic high risk for psychosis, information is sparse. The aim of this study was to assess the association between recency and frequency of cannabis use and cognitive functioning in patients with psychosis and their unaffected siblings.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional study in 956 patients with non-affective psychosis, 953 unaffected siblings, and 554 control subjects. Participants completed a cognitive test battery including assessments of verbal learning, set shifting, sustained attention, processing speed, working memory, acquired knowledge, reasoning and problem solving and social cognition. Cannabis use was assessed by urinalysis and by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Using random-effect regression models the main effects of cannabis (recency and frequency) and the interaction with status (patient, sibling, control) on cognitive functioning were assessed.ResultsCurrent cannabis use was associated with poorer performance on immediate verbal learning, processing speed and working memory (Cohen's d −0.20 to −0.33, p<0.005). Lifetime cannabis use was associated with better performance on acquired knowledge, facial affect recognition and face identity recognition (Cohen's d+0.17 to +0.33, p<0.005). There was no significant interaction between cannabis and status on cognitive functioning.ConclusionsLifetime cannabis-using individuals might constitute a subgroup with a higher cognitive potential. The residual effects of cannabis may impair short-term memory and processing speed.

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Siblings reared apart: A sibling comparison study on rearing environment differences.

Developmental Psychology ◽

10.1037/dev0000710 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (6) ◽

pp. 1182-1190 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Misaki N. Natsuaki ◽

Jenae M. Neiderhiser ◽

Gordon T. Harold ◽

Daniel S. Shaw ◽

David Reiss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Comparison Study ◽

Rearing Environment ◽

Sibling Comparison

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Cannabis use history and characteristics of quit attempts: A comparison study of treatment-seeking and non-treatment-seeking cannabis users.

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1037/a0037791 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 517-523 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Lauren R. Pacek ◽

Ryan Vandrey

Keyword(s):

Cannabis Use ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Comparison Study ◽

Quit Attempts

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Testing the association between tobacco and cannabis use and cognitive functioning: Findings from an observational and Mendelian randomization study

10.1101/2020.02.26.20028274 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Liam Mahedy ◽

Robyn Wootton ◽

Steph Suddell ◽

Caroline Skirrow ◽

Matt Field ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Early Onset ◽

Latent Class ◽

Mendelian Randomization ◽

Late Onset ◽

Smoking Initiation ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Additional Support ◽

Study Designs

AbstractBackgroundAlthough studies have examined the association between tobacco and cannabis use in adolescence with subsequent cognitive functioning, study designs are usually not able to distinguish correlation from causation.MethodsFirst, separate patterns of tobacco and cannabis use were derived using longitudinal latent class analysis based on measures assessed on five occasions from ages 13 to 18 years in a large UK based population cohort (ALSPAC). Cognitive functioning measures comprised working memory, response inhibition, and emotion recognition assessed at 24 years of age. One- and two-sample Mendelian randomization, methods for testing causal inference using genetic variants as proxies for an exposure of interest, were used to examine the causal relationship between smoking initiation/lifetime cannabis use, and subsequent cognitive functioning in ALSPAC.ResultsWe found evidence of a relationship between tobacco and cannabis use and diminished cognitive functioning for each of the outcomes in the observational analyses. The clearest evidence demonstrated a dose-response relationship between tobacco use and working memory suggesting late-onset regular tobacco smokers (b=-0.29, 95%CI=-0.45 to - 0.13), early-onset regular smokers (b=-0.45, 95%CI=-0.84 to -0.05), and early-onset regular cannabis users (b=-0.62, 95%CI=-0.93 to -0.31) performed worse on this task compared to individuals with a very low probability of using tobacco/cannabis. Mendelian randomization analyses were imprecise and did not provide additional support for these results.ConclusionsOverall, there was some evidence to suggest that adolescent tobacco and cannabis use were associated with diminished cognitive functioning. Better powered genetic studies are required to determine whether these associations are causal.

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