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Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Cannabis use related to early psychotic onset: Role of premorbid function
Marianna Frascarelli1, Adele Quartini2, Lorenzo Tomassini2
1Neurology and Psychiatry Department, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
The present cross-sectional study investigates the relation between Cannabis and the development of a psychotic disorder. The main objective is to explore the relations between Cannabis use and psychosis onset, premorbid adjustment cognitive impairment and familiarity. Forty-three patients with a diagnosis of Psychotic Disorder were recruited and divided in two groups based on Cannabis use before onset: Cannabis-using patients (PCU, N=21) and Cannabis-free patients (PCF, N=22). Cognitive functioning was evaluated by Trail Making Test A and B (TMT), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF), and the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Premorbid functioning was assessed retrospectively through the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS). PCU group showed earlier onset of the psychotic disorder compared to PCF (p=0.008). This finding was not influenced by age or positive family history for psychiatric illness. PCU subjects showed a worse premorbid functioning respect to PCF and this difference was found to impact on the early onset in the PCU group. In conclusion the present study suggests the hypothesis of an interactive role of Cannabis and poor premorbid school adjustment in the development of psychotic disorders.
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