Preliminary Evidence for Cannabis and Nicotine Urinary Metabolites as Predictors of Verbal Memory Performance and Learning Among Young Adults

Abstract

Objective:Verbal memory deficits are linked to cannabis use. However, self-reported episodic use does not allow for assessment of variance from other factors (e.g., cannabis potency, route of consumption) that are important for assessing brain-behavior relationships. Further, co-occurring nicotine use may moderate the influence of cannabis on cognition. Here we utilized objective urinary measurements to assess the relationship between metabolites of cannabis, 11-nor-9-carboxy-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH), and nicotine (cotinine) on verbal memory in young adults.Method:Adolescents and young adults (n = 103) aged 16–22 completed urinary drug testing and verbal memory assessment (RAVLT). Linear regressions examined the influence of THCCOOH and cotinine quantitative concentrations, and their interaction, on RAVLT scores, controlling for demographics and alcohol. Cannabis intake frequency was also investigated. Secondary analyses examined whether past month or recency of use related to performance, while controlling for THCCOOH and cotinine concentrations.Results:THCCOOH concentration related to both poorer total learning and long delay recall. Cotinine concentration related to poorer short delay recall. Higher frequency cannabis use status was associated with poorer initial learning and poorer short delay. When comparing to self-report, THCCOOH and cotinine concentrations were negatively related to learning and memory performance, while self-report was not.Conclusions:Results confirm the negative relationship between verbal memory and cannabis use, extending findings with objective urinary THCCOOH, and cotinine concentration measurements. No moderating relationship with nicotine was found, though cotinine concentration independently associated with negative short delay performance. Findings support the use of both urinary and self-report metrics as complementary methods in substance use research.

Young Adult E-Cigarette and Combustible Tobacco Users Attitudes, Substance Use Behaviors, Mental Health, and Neurocognitive Performance

“…This investigation is the first known study of e-cigarette use that objectively measured neurocognitive performance, and no differences in cognition by nicotine group status were observed. Cognitive differences in adolescent and young adult NTP users have been noted previously [13,14,53], though not always [53,54]. E-cigarettes specifically have been linked to poorer self-reported neurocognition [20,21], though subjective concerns may not relate to true performance deficits.…”

“…High potency was defined as >15% THC for flower and >80% for concentrates. Further, urinary analysis was used to assess objective and quantified levels of nicotine and cannabis exposure (see [ 14 ] for details).…”

“…There have been conflicting findings regarding the neurodevelopmental correlates of NTP use in youth. In one of our first papers focused on the co-use of nicotine and cannabis [14], our team found that higher levels of urinary cotinine (nicotine's major metabolite, mean concentration = 89.3 ng/mL) significantly predicted decreased memory performance among both single substance users and co-users of cannabis and nicotine ages 16-22. In a follow-up paper examining differences in structural brain metrics with an overlapping yet larger sample of the same age, we found no evidence of poorer white matter tissue and blood flow integrity among co-users of nicotine and cannabis (n = 53-55), although there was evidence of significantly poorer brain health outcomes among cannabis only users [15,16]. Others also failed to find poor structural brain integrity in young adult nicotine smokers [17,18].…”

Influência do uso de psicoativos na autopercepção da memória: análise durante a pandemia de SARS-CoV-2

“…Acredita-se que isso pode justificar o uso recreacional durante a pandemia em curso, que tem sido retratada como a pandemia do medo (Javelot et al, 2020). Um componente ativo da cannabis, o delta-9-tetra-hidrocanabinol (THC), que é o seu maior psicoativo, pode induzir sintomas psicóticos de forma aguda e comprometer fortemente as memórias episódica e de trabalho (Wade et al, 2021). Esse dado não se confirmou no presente estudo, o que pode estar relacionado ao baixo consumo dessa substância em relação as demais pesquisadas, visto que no Brasil ela é uma droga ilícita.…”

“…Um dos efeitos comuns ao uso de psicoativos é o déficit de memória, com alterações sendo observadas em todos os aspectos da função da memória, como codificação, armazenamento e recordação. Além disso, falhas de memória podem estar relacionadas a eventos e noções temporais, situações do futuro ou do passado, em que dificuldades na evocação de situações ocorridas no passado são denominadas falhas de memória retrospectiva, enquanto que dificuldades na evocação de intenções que devem ser realizadas no futuro, são denominadas de falhas de memória prospectiva (Wade et al, 2021;Blest-Hopley et al, 2021;Benites & Gomes, 2007).…”