title: Neuropsychological deficits associated with cannabis use in young adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance and has been associated with cognitive impairment. It is unclear whether such impairment can occur in the absence of potential confounding influences of co-morbid axis-I disorders and use of other illicit substances.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young adult volunteers (18-29 years) were recruited from the general community on the basis of having no axis-I disorders or history of illicit substance use other than cannabis use. Subjects were then grouped according to presence or absence of cannabis use (>1 time/week over past 12 months). Cognition was compared between groups using selected paradigms from the CANTAB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cannabis users (N=16) and controls (N=214) did not differ significantly on salient demographic characteristics. Compared to controls, cannabis users showed significant impairments on quality of decision-making (Cambridge Gamble task), and executive planning (One Touch Stockings of Cambridge task). Response inhibition, spatial working memory, and sustained attention were intact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identified cognitive deficits in cannabis users even in the absence of axis-I disorders and a history of using other illicit drugs. Future work should use longitudinal designs to track whether these deficits predate cannabis use or are due to its consumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, 2450 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454, United States. grant045@umn.edu
authors.forename: Jon E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Samuel R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Odlaug
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests