TY - JOUR
T1 - Cannabis abuse is associated with better emotional memory in schizophrenia
T2 - A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
AU - Bourque, Josiane
AU - Mendrek, Adrianna
AU - Durand, Myriam
AU - Lakis, Nadia
AU - Lipp, Olivier
AU - Stip, Emmanuel
AU - Lalonde, Pierre
AU - Grignon, Sylvain
AU - Potvin, Stéphane
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by a catalyst grant (SP) and an operating grant (AM) from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CSU105837-SP; MOP81140-AM), as well as a grant from the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec (20055; SP). SP is holder of a Junior 1 salary award from the Fonds de recherche en santé du Québec, and is supported by the Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin.
PY - 2013/10/30
Y1 - 2013/10/30
N2 - In schizophrenia cannabis abuse/dependence is associated with poor compliance and psychotic relapse. Despite this, the reasons for cannabis abuse remain elusive, but emotions may play a critical role in this comorbidity. Accordingly, we performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of emotional memory in schizophrenia patients with cannabis abuse (dual-diagnosis, DD). Participants comprised 14 DD patients, 14 non-abusing schizophrenia patients (SCZ), and 21 healthy controls (HC) who had to recognize positive and negative pictures while being scanned. Recognition of positive and negative emotions was prominently impaired in SCZ patients, relative to HC, while differences between DD and HC were smaller. For positive and negative stimuli, we observed significant activations in frontal, limbic, temporal and occipital regions in HC; in frontal, limbic and temporal regions in DD; and in temporal, parietal, limbic and occipital regions in the SCZ group. Our results suggest that emotional memory and prefrontal lobe functioning are preserved in DD relative to SCZ patients. These results are consistent with previous findings showing that cannabis abuse is associated with fewer negative symptoms and better cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. Longitudinal studies will need to determine whether the relative preservation of emotional memory is primary or secondary to cannabis abuse in schizophrenia.
AB - In schizophrenia cannabis abuse/dependence is associated with poor compliance and psychotic relapse. Despite this, the reasons for cannabis abuse remain elusive, but emotions may play a critical role in this comorbidity. Accordingly, we performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of emotional memory in schizophrenia patients with cannabis abuse (dual-diagnosis, DD). Participants comprised 14 DD patients, 14 non-abusing schizophrenia patients (SCZ), and 21 healthy controls (HC) who had to recognize positive and negative pictures while being scanned. Recognition of positive and negative emotions was prominently impaired in SCZ patients, relative to HC, while differences between DD and HC were smaller. For positive and negative stimuli, we observed significant activations in frontal, limbic, temporal and occipital regions in HC; in frontal, limbic and temporal regions in DD; and in temporal, parietal, limbic and occipital regions in the SCZ group. Our results suggest that emotional memory and prefrontal lobe functioning are preserved in DD relative to SCZ patients. These results are consistent with previous findings showing that cannabis abuse is associated with fewer negative symptoms and better cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. Longitudinal studies will need to determine whether the relative preservation of emotional memory is primary or secondary to cannabis abuse in schizophrenia.
KW - Cannabis
KW - Emotional memory
KW - Functional imaging
KW - Schizophrenia
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U2 - 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.05.012
DO - 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.05.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 23906663
AN - SCOPUS:84883216434
SN - 0925-4927
VL - 214
SP - 24
EP - 32
JO - Psychiatry Research - Neuroimaging
JF - Psychiatry Research - Neuroimaging
IS - 1
ER -