Microscopic Motor Alterations in Psychosis and Chronic Cannabis Use
Filippo Pasqualitto, A. Tomassini, Angela Muscettola, Cecilia Gabelli, Giovanni Nazzaro, Giovanni Antonio de Bellis, Francesco Torricelli, Gian Marco Gobbi, M. G. Nanni, Luigi Grassi, Luciano Fadiga, M. B. Murri, A. D'Ausilio
bioRxiv June 30, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.06.25.734496 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 55 |
| Population | Patients with psychosis (n = 17), heavy cannabis users (n = 21), and healthy controls (n = 17) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Individuals with psychosis and heavy cannabis users showed less frequent and more variable submovements than healthy controls during a continuous visuomotor synchronization task, and both groups responded less to observed human-like submovements, with the attenuation more pronounced in patients with psychosis. The authors suggest submovement analysis may capture shared sensorimotor integration alterations in psychosis and chronic cannabis use. |
Abstract
Background and Hypothesis Motor alterations represent an important component of psychotic disorders. Chronic cannabis use, a key risk factor for psychosis, is also associated with sensorimotor dysfunctions. Yet, the hypothesis of a common sensorimotor disturbance remains underinvestigated. Study Design. In this study, we examined submovements, elementary units of motor output, to search for common subclinical impairments in these populations. Patients with psychosis (n = 17), heavy cannabis users (n = 21), and healthy controls (n = 17) performed a continuous visuomotor synchronization task, consisting in tracking a dot moving on a screen with a finger. Study Results. Individuals with psychosis and cannabis users exhibited less frequent and more variable submovements compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, when interacting with a pre-recorded human kinematic profile, both groups exhibited attenuated responses to the observed submovements. This alteration was found to be more pronounced in patients with psychosis. Conclusions. These findings suggest that submovement analysis may reveal subtle, shared alterations in sensorimotor integration in psychosis and chronic cannabis use, providing an objective window onto motor dysfunction not readily captured by current clinical tools.
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
Cites 6
- The Predictive Coding Account of Psychosis. Biological Psychiatry May 25, 2018
- Regular cannabis use modulates gamma activity in brain regions serving motor control. Journal of Psychopharmacology November 1, 2024
- Cannabis use in Adolescence and Risk of Psychosis: Are there Factors that Moderate this Relationship? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Substance Abuse February 22, 2021
- An integrative framework for perceptual disturbances in psychosis. Nature Reviews Neuroscience December 2019
- Marijuana use is associated with a reorganized visual-attention network and cerebellar hypoactivation. Brain May 2006
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