Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
07:30
Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Verbal learning and memory in adolescent cannabis users, alcohol users and non-users
Nadia Solowij1, Katy A Jones, Megan E Rozman
1School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia. nadia@uow.edu.au
Psychopharmacology
|February 18, 2011
Summary
Adolescent cannabis users show significant memory deficits compared to alcohol users and controls. Early cannabis exposure negatively impacts the developing brain, leading to impaired learning and memory.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Adolescent Development
Background:
- Long-term heavy cannabis use is linked to memory impairment.
- Adolescents may be particularly susceptible to cannabis's adverse neurocognitive effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare learning and memory performance in adolescent cannabis users versus alcohol users and non-user controls.
- To investigate the relationship between cannabis use patterns and memory deficits in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional and prospective neuropsychological study of 181 adolescents (aged 16-20).
- Utilized the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test to assess memory indices.
- Matched groups for age, education, premorbid intellectual ability, and alcohol consumption.
Main Results:
- Cannabis users exhibited significantly worse performance on all memory indices compared to alcohol users and controls.
- Impairment in learning, retention, and retrieval was observed in cannabis users.
- Memory deficits correlated with duration, quantity, frequency, and age of onset of cannabis use, independent of alcohol or other drug use.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent cannabis users demonstrate memory deficits comparable to adult heavy users, even with relatively brief exposure.
- Cannabis use adversely affects the developing adolescent brain.
- Early initiation of cannabis use is associated with worse memory outcomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:27CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
01:26Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or playing an...
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
01:24CNS Stimulants: Cocaine, Amphetamines and Cannabinoids
CNS stimulants, such as cocaine, amphetamines, and cannabinoids, have varying structures and mechanisms of action that lead to different therapeutic effects and side effects. Cocaine, with its molecular formula C17H21NO4, is a tropane alkaloid and a tertiary amino compound. It has two chemical forms: the hydrochloride salt and the "freebase." The former is in powder form, while the latter involves removing the hydrochloride salt to create a form that can be smoked. Cocaine exerts its effects by...
01:15Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily...