Cognitive impairment is evident in ‘non-user’ first-degree relatives of
persons with cannabis dependence syndrome: An endophenotype study.
Abstract
Introduction- Cannabis use disorders are global emerging problem
nowadays, with high prevalence and morbidity. Though cognitive
impairments are one of the most replicated findings in individuals with
cannabis dependence, but there are very few studies assessed cognitive
functioning as a risk factor for cannabis use disorder. In this study,
we assessed cognitive functioning as an endophenotype in cannabis use
disorders. Methodology- In this study comparison of cognitive
functioning was done among three groups- patients with cannabis
dependence syndrome, their first degree relative (FDR) and normal
healthy controls (HC). Each group included 30 participants. Individuals
of all three groups were assessed in domains of complex attention,
executive functions, language, learning and memory and perceptual-motor.
Results- Performance of patients with cannabis dependence was impaired
in attention, verbal memory, executive functions compared to both other
groups. Attention, semantic verbal fluency and memory were found to be
an endophenotype as both patient and FDR group performed poorly than HC
group. Verbal memory was impaired in patients’ group compared to group
of first-degree relatives, whose performance in-turn impaired than
normal healthy controls. Performances of verbal and visual memory were
correlated positively with age of onset and negatively with frequency of
cannabis intake. Age of first-degree relatives was inversely correlated
with verbal memory. Conclusion- Performance of individuals with cannabis
dependence was impaired than normal healthy controls in all domains of
cognitive functioning. As per definition, verbal memory could be
considered as an endophenotype marker in cannabis use disorders.