A Latent Variable Analysis of Psychomotor and Neurocognitive Performance After Acute Cannabis Smoking
Shelby Smith, Julia Wrobel, Ashley Brooks-Russell, Michael J Kosnett, Mary Sammel
Cannabis 2023 DOI: 10.26828/cannabis/2023/000156 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adults who use cannabis daily, adults who use cannabis occasionally, and a no-use comparison group in a state with legal recreational cannabis |
| Intervention | Cannabis smoking |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Acute cannabis smoking was associated with changes in neurocognitive and psychomotor performance that differed by use pattern: daily users performed worse on a latent factor termed "Displaced and Delayed" (standardized coefficient 0.567, 95% CI 0.178 to 0.955) and occasional users declined on a factor termed "Recall and Reaction" (standardized coefficient 0.714, 95% CI 0.092 to 1.336), each compared with non-users. |
Abstract
Objective. This paper evaluated a novel, tablet-based neurocognitive and psychomotor test battery for detecting impairment from acute cannabis smoking using advanced quantitative methods. The study was conducted in a state with legal, recreational cannabis use and included participants who use cannabis occasionally or daily, and a no use comparison group. Methods. Participants completed a tablet-based test assessing reaction time, decision making, working memory and spatial-motor performance. The test was completed before and after participants smoked cannabis (or after a rest period in the case of controls). An Exploratory Factor Analysis approach was implemented to reduce dimensionality and evaluate correlations across the four assessed domains. Linear regression models were utilized to quantify associations between factor scores and cannabis use groups (daily vs. occasional vs. no use). Results. Seven factors were identified explaining 56.7% of the variance among the 18 measures. Regression models of the change in factors after cannabis smoking indicated those who use cannabis daily demonstrated poorer performance on a latent factor termed Displaced and Delayed (standardized coefficient 0.567, 95% CI: 0.178, 0.955; P = 0.005) compared to those with no use. Those who use cannabis occasionally exhibited a decline in performance on a latent factor termed Recall and Reaction (standardized coefficient 0.714, 95% CI: 0.092, 1.336; P = 0.025) compared to no use. Conclusions. This analysis demonstrates an innovative, quantitative approach to study how cannabis consumption affects neurocognitive and psychomotor performance. Results demonstrated that acute cannabis use is associated with changes in neurocognitive and psychomotor performance, with differences based on the pattern of occasional or daily use.
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 |