Longer chronic cannabis use in humans is associated with impaired implicit motor learning and supranormal resting state cortical activity
Shikha Prashad, Andrew Paek, Lisa R. Fournier
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) April 21, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2025.04.16.647328 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 62 |
| Population | Individuals who used cannabis regularly and individuals who did not use cannabis |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Baseline sea Motor learning Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Longer chronic cannabis use was associated with a smaller index of implicit motor learning, increased resting-state beta and gamma EEG activity, and reduced visuospatial short-term and working memory. |
Abstract
Abstract Chronic cannabis use is associated with cognitive impairment, but its impact on implicit motor learning is unclear. Implicit learning of movement sequences (i.e., their specific ordinal and temporal structure) is vital for performing complex motor behavior and lays the foundation for performing daily activities and interacting socially. We collected data from 30 individuals who used cannabis regularly and 32 individuals who did not use cannabis. We utilized the serial reaction time task to assess implicit motor sequence learning and the Corsi block-tapping test to assess visuospatial short-term and working memory. We also recorded resting state electroencephalography (EEG). While implicit motor learning was evident at the group level, longer cannabis use was associated with a smaller index of motor learning and increased activity in beta and gamma EEG frequencies during resting state. The cannabis group also had a significantly shorter Corsi span (in both forward and backward conditions). These findings indicate that longer chronic cannabis use is associated with impaired implicit motor learning that may be a function of increased resting state neural oscillatory activity, resulting in increased cortical noise, and reduced visuospatial short-term and working memory. These findings suggest that chronic cannabis use may disrupt corticostriatal pathways that underlie implicit motor sequence learning, indicating a more extensive effect of cannabis on the motor system.
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
Cites 8
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Chronic cannabis use affects cerebellum dependent visuomotor adaptation. Journal of Psychiatric Research October 6, 2022
- Impairment of Synaptic Plasticity by Cannabis, Δ9-THC, and Synthetic Cannabinoids. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine May 3, 2021
- The short-term and long-term effects of cannabis on cognition: recent advances in the field. Current Opinion in Psychology July 16, 2020
- Cannabis users exhibit increased cortical activation during resting state compared to non-users Neuroimage June 9, 2018
and 3 more in the library