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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Cognitive function as an emerging treatment target for marijuana addiction
Mehmet Sofuoglu1, Dawn E Sugarman, Kathleen M Carroll
1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, and VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, USA. mehmet.sofuoglu@yale.edu
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
|April 14, 2010
Summary
Cognitive impairments from cannabis use can hinder addiction treatment. Targeting these deficits with cognitive rehabilitation or cholinergic medications may offer new therapeutic strategies for cannabis addiction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Cannabis is the most used illicit drug globally, with increasing demand for effective addiction treatments.
- Current behavioral therapies show modest abstinence rates, and no pharmacotherapies exist for cannabis addiction.
- Cannabis use is linked to dose-dependent cognitive impairments (attention, memory, learning) that may persist after cessation and impede treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel research agenda and treatment strategy for cannabis addiction.
- To explore targeting cognitive impairments as a therapeutic approach for cannabis addiction.
- To review potential interventions for cannabis-associated cognitive deficits.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cannabis use, cognitive function, and treatment outcomes.
- Exploration of preclinical findings on cholinergic system modulation for cognitive enhancement.
- Consideration of preliminary evidence for computerized cognitive rehabilitation in substance use disorders.
Main Results:
- Cannabis-induced cognitive impairments are consistently observed and may not be fully reversible.
- Cognitive deficits can interfere with the effectiveness of addiction treatment.
- Preclinical data suggest cholinergic enhancers may help, but human trials are lacking.
- Computerized cognitive rehabilitation shows promise in other substance use populations.
Conclusions:
- Targeting cognitive impairment is a promising novel strategy for cannabis addiction treatment.
- Further clinical studies are needed to evaluate cognitive enhancers and rehabilitation for cannabis addiction.
- Future research should integrate cognitive function assessment with drug use behavior evaluation.
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