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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
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Using Task-fMRI to Explore the Relationship Between Lifetime Cannabis Use and Cognitive Control in Individuals With
Tyler A Lesh1, Joshua Rhilinger1, Rylee Brower2
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Schizophrenia Bulletin Open
|August 15, 2024
Summary
Individuals with schizophrenia and a history of cannabis use show better cognitive control performance and higher dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity than those without cannabis use history. However, earlier cannabis initiation is linked to poorer outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Cannabis use in schizophrenia is linked to negative outcomes, yet some studies show better cognitive performance in users.
- The neural underpinnings of these cognitive differences in schizophrenia patients with a history of cannabis use remain underexplored.
- Task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can elucidate brain network activity during cognitive tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cognitive control performance and associated brain activity using fMRI in first-episode schizophrenia patients with and without a history of cannabis use.
- To compare brain network activation patterns during a cognitive task between schizophrenia patients with a history of cannabis use, schizophrenia patients without cannabis use, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Forty-eight first-episode schizophrenia patients with cannabis use history (FES+CAN), 28 without (FES-CAN), and 59 controls (CON) underwent fMRI.
- Participants performed the AX-Continuous Performance Task to assess cognitive control.
- Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation was analyzed during the task.
Main Results:
- FES+CAN demonstrated superior cognitive control performance compared to FES-CAN, though both groups performed worse than controls.
- Both FES+CAN and CON showed higher DLPFC activation during cognitive control than FES-CAN; FES+CAN and CON activation levels were not significantly different.
- Within FES+CAN, earlier cannabis initiation correlated with lower IQ and global functioning, while more frequent use was linked to higher reality distortion symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Findings support previous literature indicating better cognitive control in schizophrenia patients with a history of cannabis use.
- This study provides novel evidence of heightened DLPFC activity during cognitive control in FES+CAN compared to FES-CAN.
- The results suggest a complex relationship between cannabis use, cognitive function, and brain activity in schizophrenia, with potential negative impacts from early and frequent use.
