![]() ![]() in 2011 (up from 14.5 million in 2007) and ~5 million daily cannabis users ( 1– 3). There is emerging evidence to support a number of associations between cannabis and psychosis, but the precise nature of these associations remains unclear.Ĭannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug by adults, with 18.1 million current users in the U.S. As yet, the etiology of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders remains unclear. Psychotic disorders are arguably the most serious of mental illnesses, the best known being schizophrenia. At the present time, the evidence indicates that cannabis may be a component cause in the emergence of psychosis, and this warrants serious consideration from the point of view of public health policy. The relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia fulfills many but not all of the standard criteria for causality, including temporality, biological gradient, biological plausibility, experimental evidence, consistency, and coherence. ![]() Individuals with polymorphisms of COMT and AKT1 genes may be at increased risk for psychotic disorders in association with cannabinoids, as are individuals with a family history of psychotic disorders or a history of childhood trauma. Exposure to cannabinoids in adolescence confers a higher risk for psychosis outcomes in later life and the risk is dose-related. Several factors appear to moderate these associations, including family history, genetic factors, history of childhood abuse, and the age at onset of cannabis use. In individuals with an established psychotic disorder, cannabinoids can exacerbate symptoms, trigger relapse, and have negative consequences on the course of the illness. Acute exposure to both cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids (Spice/K2) can produce a full range of transient psychotomimetic symptoms, cognitive deficits, and psychophysiological abnormalities that bear a striking resemblance to symptoms of schizophrenia. These associations-based on case-studies, surveys, epidemiological studies, and experimental studies indicate that cannabinoids can produce acute, transient effects acute, persistent effects and delayed, persistent effects that recapitulate the psychopathology and psychophysiology seen in schizophrenia. Emerging evidence supports a number of associations between cannabis and psychosis/psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia. 3Schizophrenia and Neuropharmacology Research Group, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USAĬannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, with ~5 million daily users worldwide.2Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.1Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.Wilkinson 1† and Deepak Cyril D’Souza 1,2,3*
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |