Effects of Cannabis Use and Subclinical ADHD Symptomology on Attention Based Tasks in Adolescents and Young Adults
Alexander L. Wallace, Natasha E Wade, Kelah Hatcher, Krista M. Lisdahl
Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology September 22, 2018 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acy080 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 72 |
| Population | Adolescents and young adults, including 34 cannabis users and 38 controls |
| Measures | Child Behaviors Checklist, continuous performance task (CPT) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 43 |
| Key findings | Cannabis use was associated with slower hit-rate response on a continuous performance task, while subclinical ADHD symptoms did not independently predict or moderate cognitive performance. The authors conclude that attention deficits in cannabis users are more related to substance use than to ADHD symptomatology. |
Abstract
Objective: Research has demonstrated comorbidity between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and cannabis use, and some have proposed that subclinical ADHD symptoms may explain attentional deficits in cannabis users. Here we investigated whether subclinical ADHD symptoms and cannabis use independently or interactively predict performance on attention tasks in adolescents and young adults.
Method: Seventy-two participants (cannabis users (MJ) = 34, Controls = 38) completed neuropsychological tasks of inhibition and attention. Parent report on the Child Behaviors Checklist reflected current ADHD symptoms. Multiple regression analyses examined whether ADHD symptoms and cannabis use independently or interactively predicted cognitive outcomes.
Results: Cannabis use was significantly associated with slower CPT hit rate response. Subclinical ADHD symptoms did not independently predict or moderate cannabis effects.
Conclusions: Cannabis users demonstrated slower response rate during an attentional task. Subclinical ADHD symptoms did not predict any deficits. As such, attention deficits seen in cannabis users are more related to substance use than ADHD symptomatology.
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 5
- Motion and form perception in healthy individuals with adolescent cannabis use Frontiers in Psychiatry August 17, 2026
- Network topology and cannabis use following two weeks of monitored abstinence: moderation of sex and patterns of use findings. Frontiers in adolescent medicine 2025
- Disrupted Resting State Attentional Network Connectivity in Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users following Two-Weeks of Monitored Abstinence Brain Sciences February 24, 2022
- Introduction to JINS Special Issue: Clarifying the Complexities of Cannabis and Cognition Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society July 1, 2021
- Impact of Two-Weeks of Monitored Abstinence on Cognition in Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society April 20, 2020