Cannabis use and cognitive biases in people with first-episode psychosis and their siblings
L. Roldán, Teresa Sánchez‐Gutiérrez, I. Fernández-Arias, E. Rodríguez-Toscano, Gabriel Lopez, J. Merchán-Naranjo, A. Calvo, M. Rapado-Castro, Mara Parellada, Carmen Moreno, L. Ferraro, Daniele la Barbera, Caterina la Cascia, Giada Tripoli, Marta Di Forti, R. Murray, Diego Quattrone, C. Morgan, Charlotte Gayer‐Anderson, P. Jones, Hannah E. Jongsma, James B. Kirkbride, Jim van Os, Paz Garcia-Portilla, S. Al-Halabí, Julio Bobes, Lieuwe de Haan, Miquel Bernardo, J. L. Santos, Julio Sanjuán, Manuel Arrojo, Andreı̈ Szöke, Bart P. F. Rutten, Simona A. Stilo, Ilaria Tarricone, Antonio Lasalvia, Sarah Tosato, P. Llorca, P. R. Menezes, J. Selten, Andrea Tortelli, Eva Velthorst, C. Del-Ben, Celso Arango, Covadonga M Díaz-Caneja
Psychological Medicine November 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724001715 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional correlational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,914 |
| Population | Patients with first episode psychosis, their siblings, and healthy controls from the EU-GEI study |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | First-episode psychosis patients showed increased odds of facial recognition processing deficits relative to controls (OR 1.642) but not of speech illusions or jumping to conclusions. Daily and occasional cannabis use were associated with decreased odds of speech illusions and jumping to conclusions versus lifetime abstinence, while low-potency cannabis use was associated with increased odds of all three biases compared with high-potency use. The authors suggest cognitive biases are more likely in patients who never used cannabis and in low-potency users. |
Abstract
Background: Cannabis use and familial vulnerability to psychosis have been associated with social cognition deficits. This study examined the potential relationship between cannabis use and cognitive biases underlying social cognition and functioning in patients with first episode psychosis (FEP), their siblings, and controls.
Methods: We analyzed a sample of 543 participants with FEP, 203 siblings, and 1168 controls from the EU-GEI study using a correlational design. We used logistic regression analyses to examine the influence of clinical group, lifetime cannabis use frequency, and potency of cannabis use on cognitive biases, accounting for demographic and cognitive variables.
Results: FEP patients showed increased odds of facial recognition processing (FRP) deficits (OR = 1.642, CI 1.123–2.402) relative to controls but not of speech illusions (SI) or jumping to conclusions (JTC) bias, with no statistically significant differences relative to siblings. Daily and occasional lifetime cannabis use were associated with decreased odds of SI (OR = 0.605, CI 0.368–0.997 and OR = 0.646, CI 0.457–0.913 respectively) and JTC bias (OR = 0.625, CI 0.422–0.925 and OR = 0.602, CI 0.460–0.787 respectively) compared with lifetime abstinence, but not with FRP deficits, in the whole sample. Within the cannabis user group, low-potency cannabis use was associated with increased odds of SI (OR = 1.829, CI 1.297–2.578, FRP deficits (OR = 1.393, CI 1.031–1.882, and JTC (OR = 1.661, CI 1.271–2.171) relative to high-potency cannabis use, with comparable effects in the three clinical groups.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest increased odds of cognitive biases in FEP patients who have never used cannabis and in low-potency users. Future studies should elucidate this association and its potential implications.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning 104 chronic cannabis users (49 early-onset before age 15, 55 late-onset after age 15)... | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional study | n = 148 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 600 |
| Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... | 2012 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 337 |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 2003
- 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 Schizophrenia Bulletin July 25, 2010
- Daily use of high-potency cannabis is associated with more positive symptoms in first-episode psychosis patients: the EU-GEI case–control study Psychological Medicine March 18, 2020
- Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects? Psychological Medicine September 4, 2018
- Premorbid Adjustment and IQ in Patients With First-Episode Psychosis: A Multisite Case-Control Study of Their Relationship With Cannabis Use Schizophrenia Bulletin July 2, 2019
and 7 more in the library