Regular cannabis use is associated with altered neural and behavioural responses during anticipation and feedback of monetary reward and loss
Giada Lombardi, Grace Blest‐hopley, Martina Maria Tarantini, Aisling O’neill, Robin Wilson, Owen G. O’Daly, Vincent Giampietro, Sagnik Bhattacharyya
medRxiv Preprint Server April 23, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.04.23.26351366 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Population | Regular cannabis users and matched non-users |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Regular cannabis users exhibit altered neural correlates of reward processing during anticipation and outcome, but no differences in behavioral performance on the Monetary Incentive Delay Task compared with non-users. |
Abstract
Regular cannabis use has been associated with alterations in reward-related neural processes, yet findings remain inconsistent and the relationship between neural activity and behavioural performance is not fully understood. The present study aimed to characterise neural and behavioural correlates of reward processing in regular cannabis users (CU) compared with matched non-users (NU) using the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT).
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |