Longitudinal Associations Between Cannabis Use and Cognitive Impairment in a Clinical Sample of Middle-Aged Adults Using Cannabis for Medical Symptoms
Ofir Livne, Kevin W. Potter, Randi M. Schuster, Jodi M. Gilman
Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research June 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0310 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Secondary analysis of a clinical trial Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 62 |
| Population | Adults aged 45 years and older who used cannabis for medical symptoms |
| Intervention | Cannabis |
| Duration | 12 months |
| Measures | Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Registration | NCT03224468 |
| Key findings | Frequent cannabis use (≥3 days/week) was not associated with cognitive impairment compared with nonfrequent use (≤2 days/week) over 12 months in adults aged ≥45 years. In sensitivity analyses, problematic cannabis use was associated with significantly worse performance on one cognitive domain. |
Abstract
Introduction: Cannabis use to alleviate medical symptoms is increasing in middle-aged and older adults. Cognitive impairment associated with cannabis use may be especially detrimental to these understudied age groups. We hypothesized that among middle-aged and older adults who used cannabis for 12 months, frequent (≥3 days/week) compared with nonfrequent (≤2 days/week) use will be associated with cognitive impairment.
Materials and Methods: We performed secondary analysis on data from a clinical trial of cannabis use for medical symptoms.
Participants: ( n =62) were ≥45 years, and completed a baseline and at least one postbaseline visit. Cognitive domains were assessed through the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Cannabis use was assessed prospectively through daily smartphone diaries. Frequency of cannabis use was a binary predictor in a mixed-effects logistic regression model predicting cognitive impairment adjusted for baseline cognitive functioning.
Results: At baseline, participants were primarily nonfrequent cannabis users; however, in all other time periods, most participants were frequent users (range: 55–58%). Cognitive outcomes did not differ between frequent and nonfrequent cannabis users. However, in sensitivity analyses, respondents with problematic cannabis use scored significantly worse on one cognitive domain compared to those without problematic cannabis use.
Conclusions: In a clinical sample of adults aged ≥45 years, no longitudinal associations were found between cannabis use and cognitive functioning. However, a few significant associations were observed between problematic use and cognitive functioning. Further research is needed to assess the impact of cannabis use on adults, particularly those aged ≥65 years, and to investigate potential subtler influences of cannabis use on cognition. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03224468.
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