The neural oscillations serving task switching are altered in cannabis users.
Kellen M McDonald, Mikki Schantell, Lucy K Horne, Jason A John, Maggie P Rempe, Ryan Glesinger, Hannah J Okelberry, Anna T Coutant, Seth D Springer, Amirsalar Mansouri, Christine M Embury, Yasra Arif, Tony W Wilson
Journal of Psychopharmacology May 2024 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241235204 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Chronic cannabis users and demographically matched nonuser controls |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Magnetoencephalography Prefrontal cortex Task switching Theta |
| Key findings | Chronic cannabis users exhibited weaker theta switch cost responses in the dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices compared to nonusers, and theta activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex correlated with cannabis use involvement, indicating a link between cannabis use and aberrant oscillatory activity underlying cognitive flexibility. |
Abstract
Regular cannabis is known to impact higher-order cognitive processes such as attention, but far less is known regarding cognitive flexibility, a component of executive function. Moreover, whether such changes are related to aberrations in the neural oscillatory dynamics serving flexibility remains poorly understood. Quantify the neural oscillatory dynamics serving cognitive flexibility by having participants complete a task-switching paradigm during magnetoencephalography (MEG). Probe whole-brain maps to identify alterations in chronic cannabis users relative to nonusers and determine how these alterations relate to the degree of cannabis use involvement. In all, 25 chronic cannabis users and 30 demographically matched nonuser controls completed neuropsychological testing, an interview regarding their substance use, a urinalysis, and a task switch paradigm during MEG. Time-frequency windows of interest were identified using a data-driven statistical approach and these were imaged using a beamformer. Whole-brain neural switch cost maps were computed by subtracting the oscillatory maps of the no-switch condition from the switch condition per participant. These were examined for group differences. Cannabis users had weaker theta switch cost responses in the dorsolateral and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices, while nonusers showed the typical pattern of greater recruitment during switch relative to no switch trials. In addition, theta activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with cannabis use involvement. Cannabis users exhibited altered theta switch cost activity compared to nonusers in prefrontal cortical regions, which are critical for cognitive flexibility. This activity scaled with cannabis use involvement, indicating a link between cannabis use and aberrant oscillatory activity underlying cognitive flexibility.
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
- Regulation of neural connectivity and oscillations by cannabinoids: A review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 7, 2026
- Chronic cannabis use differentially modulates neural oscillations serving the manipulate versus maintain components of working memory processing. Neurobiology of Disease February 1, 2025
- Altered Functional Connectivity Dynamics Serving Cognitive Flexibility in Regular Cannabis Users. Addiction Biology February 1, 2025
- Regular cannabis use modulates gamma activity in brain regions serving motor control. Journal of Psychopharmacology November 1, 2024
Cites 9
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- Altered Fronto-Occipital Connectivity during Visual Selective Attention in Regular Cannabis Users Psychopharmacology November 25, 2020
and 4 more in the library