Anhedonia, apathy, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls

TY - JOUR

T1 - Anhedonia, apathy, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls

AU - Skumlien, Martine

AU - Mokrysz, Claire

AU - Freeman, Tom P.

AU - Valton, Vincent

AU - Wall, Matthew B.

AU - Bloomfield, Michael

AU - Lees, Rachel

AU - Borissova, Anna

AU - Petrilli, Kat

AU - Giugliano, Manuela

AU - Clisu, Denisa

AU - Langley, Christelle

AU - Sahakian, Barbara J.

AU - Curran, H. Valerie

AU - Lawn, Will

N1 - © The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

PY - 2023/1

Y1 - 2023/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Cannabis use may be linked with anhedonia and apathy. However, previous studies have shown mixed results, and few have examined the association between cannabis use and specific reward sub-processes. Adolescents may be more vulnerable than adults to harmful effects of cannabis. This study investigated (1) the association between non-acute cannabis use and apathy, anhedonia, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making for reward; and (2) whether these relationships were moderated by age group.METHODS: We used data from the "CannTeen" study. Participants were 274 adult (26-29 years) and adolescent (16-17 years) cannabis users (1-7 d/wk use in the past 3 months) and gender- and age-matched controls. Anhedonia was measured with the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (n = 274), and apathy was measured with the Apathy Evaluation Scale (n = 215). Effort-based decision-making for reward was measured with the Physical Effort task (n = 139), and subjective wanting and liking of rewards was measured with the novel Real Reward Pleasure task (n = 137).RESULTS: Controls had higher levels of anhedonia than cannabis users (F1,258 = 5.35, P = .02, η p2 = .02). There were no other significant effects of user-group and no significant user-group*age-group interactions. Null findings were supported by post hoc Bayesian analyses.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that cannabis use at a frequency of 3 to 4 d/wk is not associated with apathy, effort-based decision-making for reward, reward wanting, or reward liking in adults or adolescents. Cannabis users had lower anhedonia than controls, albeit at a small effect size. These findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that non-acute cannabis use is associated with amotivation.

AB - BACKGROUND: Cannabis use may be linked with anhedonia and apathy. However, previous studies have shown mixed results, and few have examined the association between cannabis use and specific reward sub-processes. Adolescents may be more vulnerable than adults to harmful effects of cannabis. This study investigated (1) the association between non-acute cannabis use and apathy, anhedonia, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making for reward; and (2) whether these relationships were moderated by age group.METHODS: We used data from the "CannTeen" study. Participants were 274 adult (26-29 years) and adolescent (16-17 years) cannabis users (1-7 d/wk use in the past 3 months) and gender- and age-matched controls. Anhedonia was measured with the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (n = 274), and apathy was measured with the Apathy Evaluation Scale (n = 215). Effort-based decision-making for reward was measured with the Physical Effort task (n = 139), and subjective wanting and liking of rewards was measured with the novel Real Reward Pleasure task (n = 137).RESULTS: Controls had higher levels of anhedonia than cannabis users (F1,258 = 5.35, P = .02, η p2 = .02). There were no other significant effects of user-group and no significant user-group*age-group interactions. Null findings were supported by post hoc Bayesian analyses.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that cannabis use at a frequency of 3 to 4 d/wk is not associated with apathy, effort-based decision-making for reward, reward wanting, or reward liking in adults or adolescents. Cannabis users had lower anhedonia than controls, albeit at a small effect size. These findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that non-acute cannabis use is associated with amotivation.

KW - Humans

KW - Adult

KW - Adolescent

KW - Anhedonia

KW - Cannabis

KW - Decision Making

KW - Apathy

KW - Pleasure

KW - Bayes Theorem

KW - Motivation

KW - Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists/pharmacology

KW - Hallucinogens/pharmacology

KW - Reward

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85146445379

U2 - 10.1093/ijnp/pyac056

DO - 10.1093/ijnp/pyac056

M3 - Article

C2 - 35999024

SN - 1461-1457

VL - 26

SP - 9

EP - 19

JO - International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology

JF - International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology

IS - 1

ER -