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Psychophysiological evidence of altered neural synchronization in cannabis use: relationship to schizotypy.

Patrick D. Skosnik, Giri P Krishnan, Erin E Aydt, Heidi A Kuhlenshmidt, Brian F O'Donnell

American Journal of Psychiatry October 2006 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.2006.163.10.1798 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 33
Population Current cannabis users and drug-naive comparison subjects
Measures EEG spectral power, signal-to-noise ratio, Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire
Topics Cannabis
Key findings Cannabis users showed decreased EEG power and signal-to-noise ratio at 20 Hz stimulation, and increased schizotypal personality scores that correlated positively with years of cannabis use. Within the cannabis group, 20-Hz power negatively correlated with schizotypy scores, suggesting neural synchronization deficits and a potential link to schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Abstract

Cannabis use may produce neurophysiological disturbances similar to those observed in schizophrenia, particularly in relation to altered neural synchronization. Therefore, the current experiment examined the effect of cannabis use on EEG neural synchronization using the auditory steady-state evoked potential. Auditory steady-state evoked potentials were assessed using varying rates of stimulation (auditory click-trains of 20, 30, 40 Hz) in current cannabis users (N=17) and drug-naive comparison subjects (N=16). EEG spectral power and signal-to-noise ratio at each stimulation frequency were compared between groups. Cannabis users showed decreased EEG power and signal-to-noise ratio at the stimulation frequency of 20 Hz. In addition, current cannabis users demonstrated increased schizotypal personality characteristics as assessed with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, which positively correlated with total years of cannabis use. Finally, within the cannabis group, 20-Hz power values were negatively correlated with Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire scores. These data provide evidence for neural synchronization and early-stage sensory processing deficits in cannabis use. This finding, along with the observed increased rates of schizotypy in cannabis users, adds support for a cannabinoid link to schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

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

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