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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Cognitive performance and peripheral endocannabinoid system receptor expression in schizophrenia.
Rodrigo Ferretjans1, Salvina Maria de Campos1, Rafael Ribeiro-Santos1
1Programa de Pós-graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), MG, Brazil; Hospital de Ensino Instituto Raul Soares, Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais (FHEMIG), MG, Brazil.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) may be involved in schizophrenia. In patients, higher cannabinoid receptor expression on immune cells correlated with poorer cognitive function, suggesting a link to cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Immunology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric condition marked by cognitive deficits and functional impairment.
- The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a crucial role in cognitive functions.
- Alterations in peripheral ECS markers may reflect central changes in schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare peripheral endocannabinoid receptor expression between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.
- To investigate the association between peripheral receptor expression and cognitive performance in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 53 stabilized schizophrenia patients and 22 healthy controls.
- Conducted clinical and cognitive evaluations.
- Assessed cannabinoid receptor expression on immune cells (lymphocytes, NK cells, monocytes) via flow cytometry.
Main Results:
- Initially, schizophrenia patients showed lower cannabinoid receptor expression on T lymphocytes, but this was not significant after controlling for confounders.
- In patients, elevated cannabinoid receptor expression on lymphocytes and monocytes correlated with worse cognitive performance.
Conclusions:
- These findings suggest a potential role for the endocannabinoid system in the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
- Peripheral cannabinoid receptor expression may serve as a biomarker for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
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