Abstract
Background: Cannabis use is associated with cognitive dysfunction in younger adults, but little is known about its role as a risk factor for dementia. This study aimed to explore the association between daily cannabis use and cognitive impairment in a cohort study of middle-aged and older people at risk of dementia. Methods: Sample drawn from a cross-sectional study involving 15,582 people aged 50 and over from PROTECT study. Lifetime heavy cannabis use was defined by daily use. Results: A total of 4203 (27%) participants reported lifetime cannabis use, of whom 4097 responses to frequency of use were obtained. Among them, 259 participants reported lifetime daily, and 3838 reported less than daily use. Those with lifetime daily cannabis use were more likely than those without to be unmarried, of lower educational attainment, and current or past tobacco smokers. They were more likely to show moderate or moderate-to-severe anxiety and depression. Baseline lifetime daily cannabis use was also associated with improved verbal reasoning but not with change in other cognitive scores. Conclusions: Given improved verbal reasoning in people with daily lifetime cannabis use, the relationship between quantity and frequency of cannabis use and cognitive impairment in later life warrants further examination.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Substance Use |
| Early online date | 2 Aug 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 2 Aug 2024 |
Keywords
- Cannabis
- cognitive impairment
- dementia
- executive function
- memory