Do AKT1, COMT and FAAH influence reports of acute cannabis intoxication experiences in patients with first episode psychosis, controls and young adult cannabis users?
Chandni Hindocha, Diego Quattrone, Tom P. Freeman, R. Murray, Valeria Mondelli, G. Breen, C. Curtis, C. Morgan, Helen Valerie Curran, Marta Di Forti
Translational Psychiatry May 12, 2020 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0823-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 720 |
| Population | First-episode psychosis patients, controls, and young adult cannabis users who had used cannabis at least once |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Variation in AKT1, COMT, or FAAH genes was not associated with cannabis-induced psychotic-like or euphoric experiences, and there was no interaction between genotype and participant group. |
Abstract
Epidemiological and biological evidence support the association between heavy cannabis use and psychosis. However, it is unclear which cannabis users are susceptible to its psychotogenic effect. Therefore, understanding genetic factors contributing to this relationship might prove an important strategy to identify the mechanisms underlying cannabis-associated psychotic experiences. We aimed to determine how variation in AKT1, COMT and FAAH genotypes, and their interaction with three different groups (first episode psychosis (FEP) patients ( n = 143), controls ( n = 92) and young adult (YA) cannabis users n = 485)) influenced cannabis experiences, in those who had used cannabis at least once. We investigated the role of AKT1 (rs2494732), COMT Val158Met (rs4680) and FAAH (rs324420) on cannabis experiences by combining data from a large case-control study of FEP patients, with a naturalistic study of YA cannabis users ( n = 720). Outcome measures were cannabis-induced psychotic-like experiences (cPLEs) and euphoric experiences (cEEs). We used linear mixed effects models to assess the effects of each genotype and their interaction with group, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, age of first cannabis use, years of use and frequency. cPLEs were more frequent in FEP patients than controls and YA cannabis users. cEEs were more prevalent in YA cannabis users than FEP patients or controls. Variation in AKT1, COMT or FAAH was not associated with cPLEs/cEEs. There was no interaction between genotype and group (FEP cases, controls and YA cannabis users) on cPLEs/cEEs. In conclusion, AKT1, COMT or FAAH did not modulate specific psychotomimetic response to cannabis and did not interact with group, contrary to previous research.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Rates and correlates of cannabis-associated psychotic symptoms in over 230,000 people who use cannabis Translational Psychiatry September 6, 2022
- Relationship between the Polymorphism of the AKT1 Gene and the Consumption of Cannabis in the Appearance of Psychosis Applied Sciences October 17, 2022
- Cannabis induced psychosis: a systematic review on the role of genetic polymorphisms. Pharmacological Research May 1, 2022
- Consensus paper of the WFSBP task force on cannabis, cannabinoids and psychosis The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry March 22, 2022
Cites 16
- High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis The British Journal of Psychiatry November 30, 2009
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- COMT Val158Met moderation of cannabis‐induced psychosis: a momentary assessment study of ‘switching on’ hallucinations in the flow of daily life Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica September 19, 2008
- Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects? Psychological Medicine September 4, 2018
- The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder across Europe (EU-GEI): a multicentre case-control study The Lancet Psychiatry May 1, 2019
and 11 more in the library