INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 05 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 02:30 pm - 03:45 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry \| Addiction/Dependence \| Stress/Coping \| Emotional/Social Processes Final Abstract #56 A Systematic Review of Cognitive Functioning Among Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum in Relation to Cannabis Use Emily Kim, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States Jacob Levin, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States Tyler Pia, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States Elijah Wolfe, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States Kaitlin Cuddleston, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States Avigayil Prince, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States Caroline Delbourgo Patton, D. Samuel Gottesman Library, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States Rachel Rabin, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Tony George, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Andrea Weinberger, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States Category: Schizophrenia/Psychosis Keyword 1: schizophrenia Keyword 2: cannabis Keyword 3: cognitive functioning Objective: While both cognitive impairment and cannabis use have each been well-established in individuals with schizophrenia as separate entities, exploration of their concurrent influence remains relatively limited. A prior review¹ examined research on schizophrenia, cognition, and cannabis use through 2010. The current review sought to update this study by summarizing the research regarding the relationship of cannabis use to various cognitive domains among people with schizophrenia from 2011 to 2023. Participants and Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo was conducted to identify English language articles published from 2011 to 2023 by using relevant terms relating to schizophrenia, cannabis, and cognition. After removing duplicates, 621 were screened with an initial title and abstract review, and 171 met criteria for a full-text review. A total of 14 studies were deemed eligible based on the inclusion criteria: adult participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder, validated cognitive assessment measures, and comparison of cognitive performance between those with and without cannabis use within the schizophrenia population. Whenever possible, controls without schizophrenia were examined for comparative analysis. Results: Fourteen studies examined domains of cognition for people with schizophrenia with versus without cannabis use, with 9 studies finding significant differences and 3 studies finding no differences; 2 studies explored changes in cognition with cannabis abstinence; and 1 study investigated cognition with administration of cannabis versus placebo. The results were mixed, suggesting nuances in the relationship between cannabis use and cognitive functioning within people with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. One study found enhanced performance in working memory, psychomotor speed, and visual memory among individuals with schizophrenia who used cannabis, suggesting a potential positive impact of cannabis. In contrast, another study found worse executive function performance in individuals with schizophrenia who used cannabis compared to both non-using counterparts and non-schizophrenia controls. Interestingly, one study demonstrated that controls without schizophrenia outperformed individuals with schizophrenia in terms of cognitive function, and a second study found no significant differences in domains of cognition for individuals with schizophrenia based on their cannabis use, suggesting that cognitive impairments may be associated with the schizophrenia diagnosis, irrespective of cannabis use. Cannabis abstinence was not related to substantial changes in cognitive abilities from pre- to post-abstinence in one study; however, another study supported cognitive improvement following cannabis abstinence, particularly within the domains of verbal memory for both individuals with and without schizophrenia. A clinical trial involving the administration of cannabis did not show enhanced cognitive performance, whereas the placebo group demonstrated improvements in executive functioning. Conclusions: This systematic review further identifies complicated associations between cannabis use and cognitive functioning among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. While certain cognitive domains showed improvements in participants with schizophrenia, the broader cognitive profile of schizophrenia remained characterized by cognitive impairments compared to people without schizophrenia. The review emphasizes the need for additional research to better understand the complex relationship between cannabis use and cognition and underscores the potential significance of abstinence-based interventions in mitigating cognitive deficits associated with cannabis use among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Poster

02/15/2024
02:30 pm - 03:45 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry | Addiction/Dependence | Stress/Coping | Emotional/Social Processes

Final Abstract #56

A Systematic Review of Cognitive Functioning Among Individuals With Schizophrenia Spectrum in Relation to Cannabis Use

Emily Kim, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States
Jacob Levin, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States
Tyler Pia, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States
Elijah Wolfe, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States
Kaitlin Cuddleston, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States
Avigayil Prince, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States
Caroline Delbourgo Patton, D. Samuel Gottesman Library, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States
Rachel Rabin, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Tony George, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Andrea Weinberger, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, United States

Category: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Keyword 1: schizophrenia
Keyword 2: cannabis
Keyword 3: cognitive functioning

Objective:

While both cognitive impairment and cannabis use have each been well-established in individuals with schizophrenia as separate entities, exploration of their concurrent influence remains relatively limited. A prior review¹ examined research on schizophrenia, cognition, and cannabis use through 2010. The current review sought to update this study by summarizing the research regarding the relationship of cannabis use to various cognitive domains among people with schizophrenia from 2011 to 2023.

Participants and Methods:

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo was conducted to identify English language articles published from 2011 to 2023 by using relevant terms relating to schizophrenia, cannabis, and cognition. After removing duplicates, 621 were screened with an initial title and abstract review, and 171 met criteria for a full-text review. A total of 14 studies were deemed eligible based on the inclusion criteria: adult participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder, validated cognitive assessment measures, and comparison of cognitive performance between those with and without cannabis use within the schizophrenia population. Whenever possible, controls without schizophrenia were examined for comparative analysis.

Results:

Fourteen studies examined domains of cognition for people with schizophrenia with versus without cannabis use, with 9 studies finding significant differences and 3 studies finding no differences; 2 studies explored changes in cognition with cannabis abstinence; and 1 study investigated cognition with administration of cannabis versus placebo. The results were mixed, suggesting nuances in the relationship between cannabis use and cognitive functioning within people with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. One study found enhanced performance in working memory, psychomotor speed, and visual memory among individuals with schizophrenia who used cannabis, suggesting a potential positive impact of cannabis. In contrast, another study found worse executive function performance in individuals with schizophrenia who used cannabis compared to both non-using counterparts and non-schizophrenia controls. Interestingly, one study demonstrated that controls without schizophrenia outperformed individuals with schizophrenia in terms of cognitive function, and a second study found no significant differences in domains of cognition for individuals with schizophrenia based on their cannabis use, suggesting that cognitive impairments may be associated with the schizophrenia diagnosis, irrespective of cannabis use. Cannabis abstinence was not related to substantial changes in cognitive abilities from pre- to post-abstinence in one study; however, another study supported cognitive improvement following cannabis abstinence, particularly within the domains of verbal memory for both individuals with and without schizophrenia. A clinical trial involving the administration of cannabis did not show enhanced cognitive performance, whereas the placebo group demonstrated improvements in executive functioning.

Conclusions:

This systematic review further identifies complicated associations between cannabis use and cognitive functioning among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. While certain cognitive domains showed improvements in participants with schizophrenia, the broader cognitive profile of schizophrenia remained characterized by cognitive impairments compared to people without schizophrenia. The review emphasizes the need for additional research to better understand the complex relationship between cannabis use and cognition and underscores the potential significance of abstinence-based interventions in mitigating cognitive deficits associated with cannabis use among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.