Pot Use Associated With Enhanced Cognitive Performance In Schizophrenics

[BenBurch]

Pot Use Associated With Enhanced Cognitive Performance In Schizophrenics

Sydney, New South Wales: Cannabis use is associated with enhanced cognitive functioning in schizophrenic patients, according to clinical trial data published this month in the journal Schizophrenia Research.

Investigators at the University of Sydney assessed the impact of cannabis use on neuropsychological performance in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Sixty male schizophrenics and 17 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Among the schizophrenic group, 44 participants met the DSM-IV criteria for "lifetime cannabis abuse/dependence."

Investigators reported, "[W]ithin the schizophrenic group, a larger portion of participants with lifetime cannabis abuse/dependence demonstrated better performance than those without lifetime abuse/dependence. … Frequency and recency of cannabis use were also associated with better neuropsychological performance, predominantly in the domains of attention/processing speed and executive functions." (Executive functions are defined as a set of cognitive skills that are necessary to plan, monitor and execute a sequence of goal-directed complex actions.)

It has been estimated that cognitive dysfunctions are present in up to 80 percent of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The Sydney study is the second clinical trial this year to report an association between cannabis use and improved cognitive performance in schizophrenic patients. In May, German researchers reported in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry that subjects who reported using marijuana prior to their first psychotic episode showed improved cognitive performance on certain tests compared to non-users.

A 2005 study by investigators at Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain previously reported that schizophrenic patients who consumed cannabis prior to disease onset possessed greater cognitive skills after ten years than did non-users.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "The neuropsychological correlates of cannabis use in schizophrenia: Lifetime abuse/dependence, frequency of use, and recency of use," appears in Schizophrenia Research.

[Jeff Corey]

But I would not feel so all alone.
Everybody must get stoned.

[Dancing David]

I am not sure about the research protocol here, shouldn't there be more groups here?

Schizophrenia people who have chronic use vs those who do not.
People sorted by medications.
People sorted by age of onset.
People sorted by primary symptomatic presentation.

I am not saying that this is not a possible effect. But many people living with schizophrenia hallucinate more when they use MJ. Before i would say that this study is indicative I would at least like to see if there is self selection for MJ use. If the 'paranoid type' people are the ones who self select for MJ use that could be the cause of the effect. the fact that they do not eliminate schizoaffective DO also could be part of the effect i would like to see them sorted out.

So while I do believe that it is possible there are some possible confounding factors.

[SomeGuy]

I like my MJ.

But doesn't this research just basically say that cognitive problems are more common amongst "normal" schizophrenics as opposed to pot induced schizophrenia?

[ThunderChunky]

I like my MJ.

But doesn't this research just basically say that cognitive problems are more common amongst "normal" schizophrenics as opposed to pot induced schizophrenia?

That's one possible conclusion that could be drawn from the 2005 study mentioned. However, it is far from proven that marijuana can induce the disease.

[BenBurch]

I like my MJ.

But doesn't this research just basically say that cognitive problems are more common amongst "normal" schizophrenics as opposed to pot induced schizophrenia?

Possibly.

But you know, people with mental illness self-medicate for a reason. It helps.

Schizophrenia patients are very, very often chain smokers. Eventually it was realized that Nicotine actually helped keep the illness in check.

And I suspect that is the case here, though no rational reaction to that fact can be expected. Weed could be the best treatment on the planet for this condition and it will still never be allowed into the pharmacopeia because of all the freaking moralizing "Christians."

I echo Gandhi;

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

[Dancing David]

That's one possible conclusion that could be drawn from the 2005 study mentioned. However, it is far from proven that marijuana can induce the disease.

You are very right, schizophrenia is a brain disorder, it can not be caused by the use of substances.

However there are people who become psychotic from the use of substances. There are probably many different reasons that this happens. Underlying psychosis that becomes apparent after substance abuse or plain old altered cemistry from substance use.