Summary: Young men who suffer from cannabis use disorder are more likely to develop schizophrenia, according to a new study.
The study analyzed health records data of over 6 million people in Denmark and discovered a strong association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia. 30% of cases of schizophrenia among men aged 21-30 may be prevented by treating cannabis use disorder.
Effective treatments for both conditions are available, making it imperative to expand prevention, screening, and treatment for people who experience mental illnesses associated with cannabis use.
Key Facts:
Source: NIH
Young men with cannabis (marijuana) use disorder have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a study led by researchers at the Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health.
The study, published inPsychological Medicine(link is external),analyzed detailed health records data spanning 5 decades and representing more than 6 million people in Denmark to estimate the fraction of schizophrenia cases that could be attributed to cannabis use disorder on the population level.
Researchers found strong evidence of an association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia among men and women, though the association was much stronger among young men. Using statistical models, the study authors estimated that as many as 30% of cases of schizophrenia among men aged 21-30 might have been prevented by averting cannabis use disorder.
Cannabis use disorderandschizophreniaare serious, but treatable, mental disorders that can profoundly impact peoples lives. People with cannabis use disorder areunable to stop using cannabis despite it causing negative consequences in their lives. Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.
People with schizophrenia may seem like they have lost touch with reality, and the symptoms of schizophrenia can make it difficult to participate in usual, everyday activities. However, effective treatments are available for both cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia.
The entanglement of substance use disorders and mental illnesses is a major public health issue, requiring urgent action and support for people who need it, said NIDA Director and study coauthor Nora Volkow, M.D.
As access to potent cannabis products continues to expand, it is crucial that we also expand prevention, screening, and treatment for people who may experience mental illnesses associated with cannabis use.
The findings from this study are one step in that direction and can help inform decisions that health care providers may make in caring for patients, as well as decisions that individuals may make about their own cannabis use.
Previous studies indicate that rates of daily or near daily cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, and new schizophrenia diagnoses are higher among men than women, and that early, frequent cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia.
However, few studies have examined differences in the relationship between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia across different sex and age groups at the population level.
To address this research gap, investigators analyzed data from nationwide health registers in Denmark, which included health records data from more than 6.9 million people who were aged 16-49 at some point between 1972 and 2021.
Using these nationally representative longitudinal data, the researchers investigated how the associations between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia varied by different sex and age groups, and how these differences changed over time.
Although there are many risk factors associated with schizophrenia, in this study, researchers sought to estimate the proportion of all schizophrenia cases that may be attributed to cannabis use disorder specifically, across sex and age groups at the population level.
The study team estimated that 15% of cases of schizophrenia among men aged 16-49 may have been avoided in 2021 by preventing cannabis use disorder, in contrast to 4% among women aged 16-49.
For young men aged 21-30, they estimated that the proportion of preventable cases of schizophrenia related to cannabis use disorder may be as high as 30%.
The authors emphasize that cannabis use disorder appears to be a major modifiable risk factor for schizophrenia at the population level, particularly among young men.
This study also adds toexisting evidencesuggesting that the proportion of new schizophrenia cases that may be attributed to cannabis use disorder has consistently increased over the past five decades.
The authors note that this increase is likely linked to the higher potency of cannabis and increasing prevalence of diagnosed cannabis use disorder over time.
Increases in the legalization of cannabis over the past few decades have made it one of the most frequently used psychoactive substances in the world, while also decreasing the publics perception of its harm.
This study adds to our growing understanding that cannabis use is not harmless, and that risks are not fixed at one point in time, said Carsten Hjorthj, Ph.D., lead author of the study and associate professor at the Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark and at the University of Copenhagen.
The authors note that further research is needed to examine potential differences in the potency and frequency of cannabis consumption between young men and women, and to examine the mechanisms underlying the higher vulnerability of young men to the effects of cannabis on schizophrenia.
The association of cannabis potency with cannabis use disorder andpsychosismay help inform public health guidelines; policies on cannabis sales and access; and efforts to effectively prevent, screen for, and treat cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia.
Author: NIDA Press OfficeSource: NIHContact: NIDA Press Office NIHImage: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.Association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia stronger in young males than in females by Nora Volkow et al. Psychological Medicine
Abstract
Association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia stronger in young males than in females
Background
Previous research suggests an increase in schizophrenia population attributable risk fraction (PARF) for cannabis use disorder (CUD). However, sex and age variations in CUD and schizophrenia suggest the importance of examining differences in PARFs in sex and age subgroups.
Methods
We conducted a nationwide Danish register-based cohort study including all individuals aged 1649 at some point during 19722021. CUD and schizophrenia status was obtained from the registers. Hazard ratios (HR), incidence risk ratios (IRR), and PARFs were estimated. Joinpoint analyses were applied to sex-specific PARFs.
Results
We examined 6 907 859 individuals with 45 327 cases of incident schizophrenia during follow-up across 129 521 260 person-years. The overall adjusted HR (aHR) for CUD on schizophrenia was slightly higher among males (aHR = 2.42, 95% CI 2.332.52) than females (aHR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.892.17); however, among 1620-year-olds, the adjusted IRR (aIRR) for males was more than twice that for females (males: aIRR = 3.84, 95% CI 3.434.29; females: aIRR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.532.15). During 19722021, the annual average percentage change in PARFs for CUD in schizophrenia incidence was 4.8 among males (95% CI 4.35.3;p< 0.0001) and 3.2 among females (95% CI 2.53.8;p< 0.0001). In 2021, among males, PARF was 15%; among females, it was around 4%.
Conclusions
Young males might be particularly susceptible to the effects of cannabis on schizophrenia. At a population level, assuming causality, one-fifth of cases of schizophrenia among young males might be prevented by averting CUD. Results highlight the importance of early detection and treatment of CUD and policy decisions regarding cannabis use and access, particularly for 1625-year-olds.
Link:
Cannabis Use Disorder Linked to Increased Schizophrenia Risk in ... - Neuroscience News
- Neuroscience helps explain the teenage brain and mental health - ABC News - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- XX Marks the Spot: Addressing Sex Bias in Neuroscience - The Scientist - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Neuroscience-based tools for transformative leadership - Fast Company - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- How 100 Years of EEG Have Transformed Neuroscience - Being Patient - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Reconstructing dopamines link to reward - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- The neuroscience of itch in relation to transdiagnostic psychological approaches - Nature.com - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- A README for open neuroscience - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Dopamine and the need for alternative theories - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Kim Stachenfeld on the dance between neuroscience and artificial intelligence - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Vijay Mohan K. Namboodiri - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Varied Cognitive Training Boosts Learning and Memory - Neuroscience News - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Issue | September 2024 | XX Marks the Spot: Addressing Sex Bias in Neuroscience - The Scientist - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- The Transmitter Partners With World Wide Neuro and Brain Inspired, Building on Mission to Inform, Connect Neuroscience Community - StreetInsider.com - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Glaucoma and AMD - Neuroscience News - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- The Neuroscience of Phantom Sensations: Can We Feel Whats Not Really There? - SciTechDaily - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Tau May Protect Brain Cells from Oxidative Damage - Neuroscience News - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Scientists use fainting to uncover new insights into the neuroscience of consciousness - PsyPost - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Biosensors and being fearless with Lin Tian - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Can Neuroscience Train Your Brain to Be Happier? This Startup Has an App for That - Inc. - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Neuroscience Surprise: Different Types of Love Light Up Different Parts of the Brain - SciTechDaily - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Second paper from lab of Nobel Prize winner to be retracted - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- How cognitive bias affects your draft strategy with neuroscience professor Dr. Renee Miller - Yahoo Sports - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- This 3-step approach to performance reviews uses neuroscience to make them less awful - Fast Company - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Is it time to worry about brain chimeras? - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Sharing brain images can foster new neuroscience discoveries - American Heart Association - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Latest News: Neuroscience Major Applies What Shes Learned in the Classroom and in the Lab - Muhlenberg College - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- BioIVT to Highlight its Integral Role in Drug and Diagnostic Discovery and Development in addition to Neuroscience Research at Premier Life Science... - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Alto Neuroscience Receives Funding Award from Wellcome Trust to Accelerate Development of ALTO-100 in Bipolar Depression Leveraging Precision... - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Neuroscience Says 3 Simple Steps Can Turn Disappointment and Stress Into Success and Fulfillment (and Boost Your Emotional Intelligence) - Inc. - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Golf: neuroscience reveals the secrets of better putting new study - The Conversation - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- The Neuroscience Behind Video: Why Video is the Most Effective Marketing Channel - StreamTV Insider - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Adjusting Proteins Increases Ozempics Effectiveness - Neuroscience News - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- Low-Calorie Diets Harm Athletes Performance and Health - Neuroscience News - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- Reflective Thinking Boosts Teen Brain Resilience to Violence - Neuroscience News - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- Neuroscience Says Olympians Like Simone Biles Use the Autopilot Trick to Achieve Peak Performance. So Can You - Inc. - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- What well-being is (and isnt), according to neuroscience - Big Think - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- Brain Areas Take Micro-Naps While the Rest Stays Awake - Neuroscience News - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- Persistent protein pairing enables memories to last - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- AI Enhances Story Creativity but Risks Reducing Novelty - Neuroscience News - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- Infection Brain Inflammation Triggers Muscle Weakness - Neuroscience News - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- Alto Neuroscience, Inc. (NYSE:ANRO) Receives Average Rating of Buy from Analysts - Defense World - July 18th, 2024 [July 18th, 2024]
- 2024 Kavli Prize awarded for research on face-selective brain areas - The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives - June 18th, 2024 [June 18th, 2024]
- Unlocking Flow: The Neuroscience of Creative Bliss - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Revolutionizing Glioblastoma Treatment - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Decoding spontaneous thoughts from the brain via machine learning - EurekAlert - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Reducing Toxic AI Responses - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Advancing the neuroscience of human pregnancy - Nature.com - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Angela Bryan Awarded Hazel Barnes Prize | Psychology and Neuroscience - University of Colorado Boulder - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- How Old Are You in Your Head? The Neuroscience of Subjective Age Reveals How to Stay Mentally Young - Inc. - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Biohaven Showcases Innovative Neuroscience Portfolio with 20 Presentations at the 2024 American Academy of ... - PR Newswire - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Those Who Use Willpower Deemed More Trustworthy - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- How Sex and Gender Shape Our Cognition - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- War's Toll on the Brain: Widespread PTSD and Anxiety Among Ukrainians - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Paints and Pesticides Linked to ALS Risk - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- AI STORIES: A New Vision for AI and Narratives - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Neuroscience Breakthrough Unveils How We Learn and Remember - SciTechDaily - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Pregnancy's Toll: Accelerated Aging in Young Mothers - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Learning and Memory Formation's Molecular Basis - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Acetaminophen in Pregnancy Not Linked to Autism, ADHD Risk - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Childhood Loneliness Linked to Later Psychosis - Neuroscience News - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Vigil Neuroscience, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIGL) Expected to Post Q1 2024 Earnings of ($0.58) Per Share - Defense World - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) Diversity Grants 2024 Opportunity Desk - Opportunity Desk - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Hereditary Alzheimer's Transmitted Via Bone Marrow Transplants - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Household Chemicals Linked to Brain Health Risks - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Cheers to Longevity: Couples Who Drink Together, Live Longer - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Sleeplessness Makes You Feel Up To Ten Years Older - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Aging Brain Cells Have Prolonged Death Process - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Anxiety Drives Wishful Thinking to Risky Levels - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Prolonged Progestogen Use Linked to Brain Tumor Risk - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- The Genetic Secrets of Neuron Formation - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Vigil Neuroscience Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results and Provides Business Update - Yahoo Finance - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Big research, little time: Medical neuroscience student wins 3 Minute Thesis finals - Dal News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- The new NeuroAI - Nature.com - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Exploring Aphantasia: The Mind Without a Mental Picture - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Altered Brain pH Linked to Cognitive Disorders - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Emotion vs. Reason: Rethinking Decision-Making - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- DNA Damage and Inflammation Key to Memory Formation - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Embracing Neurodiversity: Beyond Stigma to Strength - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Devil in the Details: The Visual World of Prosopometamorphopsia - Neuroscience News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]