Supervisors info:
Δημήτρης Δικαίος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Θωμάς Παπαρρηγόπουλος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Καλλιόπη Τριανταφύλλου, Επιστημονική Συνεργάτης, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Introduction: Cannabis has been found to affect memory, attention, and other cognitive functions potentially and ongoing research is examining the specific nature of these effects. As its legalization becomes more widespread, there has been a notable increase in consumption, especially among younger individuals, which raises significant concerns about its cognitive effects. This study aims to investigate the relationship between cannabis use and memory performance, taking into account factors such as frequency of use and the age at which individuals start using it, to gain a deeper understanding of its effects on cognitive function.
Aim: To investigate the possible association between cannabis use and memory, the effects of cannabis use on memory function, and the effect of early initiation and frequency of cannabis use on memory impairment.
Methodology: A total of 273 participants aged 18 to 35 years were enrolled in a synchronous quantitative study, with exclusion criteria including a diagnosis of cannabis use disorder and any known memory disorders. Data collection was conducted online using Google Forms between October and December 2024. Three instruments were used: a questionnaire for demographic characteristics, the Multifactor Memory Questionnaire (MMQ) to assess memory, and the CUDIT-R to assess cannabis use disorder. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.
Results: Statistical analysis of the data showed that users showed lower memory performance (M=3.2941, SD=0.37058) compared to non-users (M=3.4554, SD=0.36822), with a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). The effect size, as determined by Cohen's d-index (-0.437), suggests a medium-magnitude effect of cannabis use on memory. Furthermore, the association between cannabis use and memory errors in daily activities was also found to be statistically significant (p=0.008), indicating that cannabis users tend to experience memory errors more frequently. However, frequency of cannabis use did not appear to significantly affect memory function, as analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed non-statistically significant differences between levels of use (p=0.0,887). Furthermore, the age at which subjects started using cannabis (either early or late) did not appear to be associated with differences in memory performance, as the two groups showed no statistically significant difference (p=0.887, Cohen's d=-0.028). The range of confidence intervals (95%) included a value of 0, suggesting that the actual difference may be negligible.
Conclusions: Statistical analysis shows that cannabis users tend to exhibit lower memory performance and higher frequency of memory errors in their daily activities compared to non-users. It appears that the frequency of use and the age at which individuals start using cannabis do not have a significant impact on memory function. These findings suggest a possible negative effect of cannabis on cognitive performance. This research may encourage interest in the scientific community, particularly in exploring its implications for preventive and therapeutic applications.
Keywords:
Cannabis use, Memory, Hippocampus, Cognitive function, Young adults
