Neural correlates of performance monitoring in chronic cannabis users and cannabis-naive controls.
Daniel J Fridberg, Patrick D. Skosnik, William P Hetrick, Brian F O'Donnell
Journal of Psychopharmacology June 2013 DOI: 10.1177/0269881113477745 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 62 |
| Population | 30 frequent cannabis users (mean usage 5.52 days/week) and 32 cannabis-naive control participants |
| Measures | error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe), P3 |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | P3 Error positivity Error-related negativity Event-related potentials |
| Key findings | Frequent cannabis users and cannabis-naive controls did not differ in error-related negativity amplitude or latency, but users had larger error positivity amplitude and increased amplitude and reduced latency of the P3 to infrequent stimuli. Among users, more total years of cannabis use correlated with shorter P3 latency and larger P3 amplitude, and earlier age of first use correlated with smaller P3 amplitude. The authors suggest these patterns reflect alterations in neural activity related to processing motivationally relevant stimuli and errors. |
Abstract
Chronic cannabis use is associated with residual negative effects on measures of executive functioning. However, little previous work has focused specifically on executive processes involved in performance monitoring in frequent cannabis users. The present study investigated event-related potential (ERP) correlates of performance monitoring in chronic cannabis users. The error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe), ERPs sensitive to performance monitoring, were recorded from 30 frequent cannabis users (mean usage=5.52 days/week) and 32 cannabis-naïve control participants during a speeded stimulus discrimination task. The "oddball" P3 ERP was recorded as well. Users and controls did not differ on the amplitude or latency of the ERN; however, Pe amplitude was larger among users. Users also showed increased amplitude and reduced latency of the P3 in response to infrequent stimuli presented during the task. Among users, urinary cannabinoid metabolite levels at testing were unrelated to ERP outcomes. However, total years of cannabis use correlated negatively with P3 latency and positively with P3 amplitude, and age of first cannabis use correlated negatively with P3 amplitude. The results of this study suggest that chronic cannabis use is associated with alterations in neural activity related to the processing of motivationally-relevant stimuli (P3) and errors (Pe).
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 4
- Daily cannabis use in adolescents who smoke tobacco is associated with altered late-stage feedback processing: A high-density electrical mapping study Journal of Psychiatric Research May 23, 2021
- The Behavioral Sequelae of Cannabis Use in Healthy People: A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychiatry February 16, 2021
- Cognitive outcomes associated with long-term, regular, recreational cannabis use in adults: A meta-analysis. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2020
- Dose-dependent effects of cannabis on the neural correlates of error monitoring in frequent cannabis users. European Neuropsychopharmacology November 2015
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