Weighing the Evidence: A Systematic Review on Long-Term Neurocognitive Effects of Cannabis Use in Abstinent Adolescents and Adults - PubMed

Affiliations

• PMID: 27125202
• DOI: 10.1007/s11065-016-9316-2

Review

Weighing the Evidence: A Systematic Review on Long-Term Neurocognitive Effects of Cannabis Use in Abstinent Adolescents and Adults

Florian Ganzer et al. Neuropsychol Rev. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Findings on neurocognitive effects of sustained cannabis use are heterogeneous. Previous work has rarely taken time of abstinence into account. In this review, we focus on understanding sustained effects of cannabis, which begin when clinical symptoms of the drug have worn off after at least 14 days. We conducted a search between 2004 and 2015 and found 38 studies with such a prolonged abstinence phase. Study-design quality in terms of evidence-based medicine is similar among studies. Studies found some attention or concentration deficits in cannabis users (CU). There is evidence that chronic CU might experience sustained deficits in memory function. Findings are mixed regarding impairments in inhibition, impulsivity and decision making for CU, but there is a trend towards worse performance. Three out of four studies found evidence that motor function remains impaired even after a time of abstinence, while no impairments in visual spatial functioning can be concluded. Functional imaging demonstrates clear differences in activation patterns between CU and controls especially in hippocampal, prefrontal and cerebellar areas. Structural differences are found in cortical areas, especially the orbitofrontal region and the hippocampus. Twenty studies (57 %) reported data on outcome effects, leading to an overall effect size of r mean = .378 (CI 95 % = [.342; .453]). Heavy use is found to be more consistently associated with effects in diverse domains than early age of onset. Questions of causality-in view of scarce longitudinal studies, especially those targeting co-occurring psychiatric disorders-are discussed.

Keywords: Cannabis; Cognitive effects; Marijuana; Neuropsychology; Systematic review; THC.

Similar articles

• Intellectual, neurocognitive, and academic achievement in abstinent adolescents with cannabis use disorder.

  Hooper SR, Woolley D, De Bellis MD. Hooper SR, et al. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014 Apr;231(8):1467-77. doi: 10.1007/s00213-014-3463-z. Epub 2014 Mar 12. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014. PMID: 24619597 Free PMC article.

• Marijuana use is associated with a reorganized visual-attention network and cerebellar hypoactivation.

  Chang L, Yakupov R, Cloak C, Ernst T. Chang L, et al. Brain. 2006 May;129(Pt 5):1096-112. doi: 10.1093/brain/awl064. Epub 2006 Apr 3. Brain. 2006. PMID: 16585053

• Cannabis use and cognitive function in first episode psychosis: differential effect of heavy use.

  Núñez C, Ochoa S, Huerta-Ramos E, Baños I, Barajas A, Dolz M, Sánchez B, Del Cacho N; GENIPE Group; Usall J. Núñez C, et al. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016 Mar;233(5):809-21. doi: 10.1007/s00213-015-4160-2. Epub 2015 Dec 1. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016. PMID: 26621349

• Acute and Chronic Effects of Cannabinoids on Human Cognition-A Systematic Review.

  Broyd SJ, van Hell HH, Beale C, Yücel M, Solowij N. Broyd SJ, et al. Biol Psychiatry. 2016 Apr 1;79(7):557-67. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.12.002. Epub 2015 Dec 8. Biol Psychiatry. 2016. PMID: 26858214 Review.

• Functional imaging studies in cannabis users.

  Chang L, Chronicle EP. Chang L, et al. Neuroscientist. 2007 Oct;13(5):422-32. doi: 10.1177/1073858406296601. Neuroscientist. 2007. PMID: 17901252 Review.

Cited by

• Effects of Adolescent Cannabinoid Self-Administration in Rats on Addiction-Related Behaviors and Working Memory.

  Kirschmann EK, Pollock MW, Nagarajan V, Torregrossa MM. Kirschmann EK, et al. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Apr;42(5):989-1000. doi: 10.1038/npp.2016.178. Epub 2016 Sep 1. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017. PMID: 27582345 Free PMC article.

• The interaction between cannabis use and a CB1-related polygenic co-expression index modulates dorsolateral prefrontal activity during working memory processing.

  Taurisano P, Pergola G, Monda A, Antonucci LA, Di Carlo P, Piarulli F, Passiatore R, Papalino M, Romano R, Monaco A, Rampino A, Bonvino A, Porcelli A, Popolizio T, Bellotti R, Bertolino A, Blasi G. Taurisano P, et al. Brain Imaging Behav. 2021 Feb;15(1):288-299. doi: 10.1007/s11682-020-00256-z. Brain Imaging Behav. 2021. PMID: 32124274

• Implications of Medical and Recreational Marijuana Laws for Neuroscience Research: a Review.

  Hasin DS, Aharonovich E. Hasin DS, et al. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep. 2020 Dec;7(4):258-266. doi: 10.1007/s40473-020-00222-5. Epub 2020 Oct 20. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep. 2020. PMID: 34336547 Free PMC article.

• Neurobiology of substance use in adolescents and potential therapeutic effects of exercise for prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.

  Nock NL, Minnes S, Alberts JL. Nock NL, et al. Birth Defects Res. 2017 Dec 1;109(20):1711-1729. doi: 10.1002/bdr2.1182. Birth Defects Res. 2017. PMID: 29251846 Free PMC article. Review.

• Cannabis and Illicit Drug Use During Neurodevelopment and the Associated Structural, Functional and Cognitive Outcomes: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

  Debenham J, Newton N, Birrell L, Yücel M, Lees B, Champion K. Debenham J, et al. JMIR Res Protoc. 2020 Jul 27;9(7):e18349. doi: 10.2196/18349. JMIR Res Protoc. 2020. PMID: 32716005 Free PMC article.

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Springer

• Other Literature Sources

  • scite Smart Citations

• Medical

  • MedlinePlus Health Information