Altered Fronto-Occipital Connectivity during Visual Selective Attention in Regular Cannabis Users
Abril Rangel-Pacheco, Brandon J. Lew, Mikki Schantell, Michaela R. Frenzel, Jacob A. Eastman, Alex I. Wiesman, T. Wilson
Psychopharmacology November 25, 2020 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05717-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 48 |
| Population | 24 adults reporting at least weekly cannabis use in the past 6 months and 24 demographically matched controls reporting no prior cannabis use |
| Measures | Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test - Revised |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Regular cannabis users performed within the normal range on a visual selective attention task but showed an abnormal theta-band (4-8 Hz) interference effect in the right occipital cortex 0-250 ms after stimulus onset and altered right prefrontal-occipital functional connectivity in the theta range. The authors suggest these differences may reflect compensatory processing. |
Abstract
Cognitive processing impairments have been associated with acute cannabis use, but there is mixed evidence regarding the cognitive effects of chronic cannabis use. Several neuroimaging studies have noted selective-attention processing differences in those who chronically use cannabis, but the neural dynamics governing the altered processing is unclear. Twenty-four adults reporting at least weekly cannabis use in the past 6 months on the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test – Revised were compared to 24 demographically matched controls who reported no prior cannabis use. All participants completed a visual selective attention processing task while undergoing magnetoencephalography. Time-frequency windows of interest were identified using a data-driven method, and spectrally specific neural activity was imaged using a beamforming approach. All participants performed within normal range on the cognitive task. Regular cannabis users displayed an aberrant cognitive interference effect in the theta (4–8 Hz) frequency range shortly after stimulus onset (i.e., 0–250 ms) in the right occipital cortex. Cannabis users also exhibited altered functional connectivity between the right prefrontal cortex and right occipital cortices in comparison to controls. Individuals with a history of regular cannabis use exhibited abnormal theta interference activity in the occipital cortices, as well as altered prefrontal-occipital functional connectivity in the theta range during a visual selective attention task. Such differences may reflect compensatory processing, as these participants performed within normal range on the task. Understanding the neural dynamics in chronic, regular cannabis users may provide insight on how long-term and/or frequent use may affect neural networks underlying cognitive processes.
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 13
- Not Just a Pot: Visual Episodic Memory in Cannabis Users and Polydrug Cannabis Users: ROC and ERP Preliminary Investigation Frontiers in Human Neuroscience June 11, 2021
- 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
- Cannabis- and HIV-related perturbations to the cortical gamma dynamics supporting inhibitory processing. Brain Communications 2025
- Regular cannabis use modulates gamma activity in brain regions serving motor control. Journal of Psychopharmacology November 1, 2024
and 8 more in the library
Cites 17
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- Cannabis users exhibit increased cortical activation during resting state compared to non-users Neuroimage June 9, 2018
- Acute and Chronic Effects of Cannabinoids on Human Cognition-A Systematic Review. Biological Psychiatry April 1, 2016
- Chronic cannabis use and ERP correlates of visual selective attention during the performance of a flanker go/nogo task. Biological Psychology September 2015
- Long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 25, 2014
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