Decoding the Neural Correlates of Social Cognition and Emotion Recognition in Cannabis Users: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies.
C. Romein, Mika Mautner-Rohde, Karis Colyer-Patel, Helle Larsen, Janna Cousijn
Behavioural Brain Research August 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115755 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Long-term cannabis users |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Long-term cannabis use is associated with increased neural response to social influence and decreased neural sensitivity to social exclusion, psychosocial stress, and social reward, while emotion recognition findings are inconsistent. |
Abstract
Social factors significantly influence the initiation and progression of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder. Although cannabis is the most widely used drug globally, its social cognitive aspects and neural correlates have rarely been studied. To evaluate the findings to date and to guide future research, this systematic review assesses neuroimaging evidence on the associations between long-term cannabis use, social cognition, and emotion recognition. Findings from 8 studies on social cognition suggest an increased neural response to social influence and a decreased neural sensitivity to social exclusion, psychosocial stress, and social reward. However, these results should be interpreted with caution, and further replication is necessary due to the limited number of studies in each area. The findings from 21 studies on emotion recognition remain largely inconsistent. Specifically, regarding the amygdala, cingulate cortex, and frontal areas, findings vary, with certain studies reporting increased activity in response to affective stimuli in cannabis users compared to controls, while other studies reported the opposite effect. These effects could be caused by methodological and sample differences across the studies on emotion recognition. Overall, the functional implications, the causal relationship with use, and the role of individual user characteristics, such as the severity of CUD symptoms, gender, and age remain unclear. Future research should involve larger, more diverse samples and specifically target individuals with CUD. Especially, longitudinal studies focusing on social motivational processes, the brain, and the roles of age and gender as potential moderators could provide valuable insights.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effects of cannabis use on outcomes of psychotic disorders: systematic review People with psychotic disorders, as examined in 13 longitudinal studies | 2008 | Systematic review | |
| The Impact of Cannabis Use on Cognitive Functioning in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Meta-analysis of Existing Findings and New Data in a First-Episode Sample Patients with established schizophrenia (meta-analysis: 572) and patients with... | 2010 | Meta-analysis and cross-sectional observational study | n = 700 |
| Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinically-focused systematic review | 2020 | Systematic review | |
| Neuroimaging in cannabis use: a systematic review of the literature Cannabis users and controls in neuroimaging studies | 2009 | Systematic review | |
| Human Laboratory Studies on Cannabinoids and Psychosis. Healthy human subjects and individuals with schizophrenia | 2016 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Archives of General Psychiatry 2009
- Neuroimaging in cannabis use: a systematic review of the literature Psychological Medicine July 23, 2009
- Modulation of effective connectivity during emotional processing by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology September 24, 2009
- Attenuated frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia in cannabis users Addiction Biology March 3, 2016
- Cannabinoid Modulation of Amygdala Subregion Functional Connectivity to Social Signals of Threat The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology December 28, 2014
and 10 more in the library