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Cannabis use may attenuate neurocognitive performance deficits resulting from methamphetamine use disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2023

Jeffrey M. Rogers Open the ORCID record for Jeffrey M. Rogers [Opens in a new window] ,
Igor Grant ,
Maria Cecilia G. Marcondes ,
Erin E. Morgan ,
Mariana Cherner ,
Ronald J. Ellis ,
Scott L. Letendre ,
Robert K. Heaton  and
Jennifer E. Iudicello
Jeffrey M. Rogers
Affiliation:
San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA
Igor Grant*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Maria Cecilia G. Marcondes
Affiliation:
San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, CA, USA
Erin E. Morgan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Mariana Cherner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Ronald J. Ellis
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Scott L. Letendre
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Robert K. Heaton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Jennifer E. Iudicello
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
*
Corresponding author: Igor Grant; Email: igrant@health.ucsd.edu
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Abstract

Objective:

Methamphetamine and cannabis are two widely used, and frequently co-used, substances with possibly opposing effects on the central nervous system. Evidence of neurocognitive deficits related to use is robust for methamphetamine and mixed for cannabis. Findings regarding their combined use are inconclusive. We aimed to compare neurocognitive performance in people with lifetime cannabis or methamphetamine use disorder diagnoses, or both, relative to people without substance use disorders.

Method:

423 (71.9% male, aged 44.6 ± 14.2 years) participants, stratified by presence or absence of lifetime methamphetamine (M−/M+) and/or cannabis (C−/C+) DSM-IV abuse/dependence, completed a comprehensive neuropsychological, substance use, and psychiatric assessment. Neurocognitive domain T-scores and impairment rates were examined using multiple linear and binomial regression, respectively, controlling for covariates that may impact cognition.

Results:

Globally, M+C+ performed worse than M−C− but better than M+C−. M+C+ outperformed M+C− on measures of verbal fluency, information processing speed, learning, memory, and working memory. M−C+ did not display lower performance than M−C− globally or on any domain measures, and M−C+ even performed better than M−C− on measures of learning, memory, and working memory.

Conclusions:

Our findings are consistent with prior work showing that methamphetamine use confers risk for worse neurocognitive outcomes, and that cannabis use does not appear to exacerbate and may even reduce this risk. People with a history of cannabis use disorders performed similarly to our nonsubstance using comparison group and outperformed them in some domains. These findings warrant further investigation as to whether cannabis use may ameliorate methamphetamine neurotoxicity.

Keywords

cannabismemoryneuroprotectionmethamphetaminecognitionsubstance use disorder
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , January 2024 , pp. 84 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © INS. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2023

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