title: Attentional dysfunction in abstinent long-term cannabis users with and without schizophrenia.
abstract: Long-term cannabis use may confer cognitive deficits and increased risk of psychosis. However, the relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia is complex. In particular, little is known about the effects of chronic cannabis use on the attention-related electric brain response in schizophrenia. We investigated auditory novelty and oddball P300 evoked potentials in a mixed sample of first-episode and chronic schizophrenic patients and healthy controls with (SZCA, n = 20; COCA, n = 20, abstinence ≥28 days) or without (SZ, n = 20; CO, n = 20) chronic cannabis use. Duration of regular cannabis use was 8.3 ± 5.6 (SZCA) and 9.1 ± 7.1 (COCA) years. In general, schizophrenic patients showed reduced P300 amplitudes. Cannabis use was associated with both a reduced early and late left-hemispheric novelty P300. There was a significant 'diagnosis × cannabis' interaction for the left-hemispheric late novelty P300 in that cannabis use was associated with a reduced amplitude in the otherwise healthy but not in the schizophrenic group compared with their relative control groups (corrected p < 0.02; p > 0.9, respectively). The left-hemispheric late novelty P300 in the otherwise healthy cannabis group correlated inversely with amount and duration of cannabis use (r = -0.50, p = 0.024; r = -0.57, p = 0.009, respectively). Our study confirms attentional deficits with chronic cannabis use. However, cannabis use may lead to different cognitive sequelae in patients with schizophrenia and in healthy controls, possibly reflecting preexisting alterations in the endocannabinoid system in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. johannes.rentzsch@charite.de.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rentzsch
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Eschenallee 3, 14050, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stadtmann
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.|Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Große Hamburger Straße 5-11, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montag
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hagen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunte
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Plöckl
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hellweg
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallinat
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Golo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kronenberg
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Eschenallee 3, 14050, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria Christiane
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jockers-Scherübl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000209:etiology*; D002188:Cannabis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Abstinence; Cognition; Marijuana; Novelty; P300; Schizophrenia