An Event-Related Potential Study on the Effects of Cannabis on Emotion Processing

The effect of cannabis on emotional processing was investigated using event-related potential paradigms (ERPs). ERPs associated with emotional processing of cannabis users, and non-using controls, were recorded and compared during an implicit and explicit emotional expression recognition and empathy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2016-02, Vol.11 (2), p.e0149764-e0149764
Main Authors: Troup, Lucy J, Bastidas, Stephanie, Nguyen, Maia T, Andrzejewski, Jeremy A, Bowers, Matthew, Nomi, Jason S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Amplitudes
Biology and Life Sciences
Brain research
Cannabis
Cannabis (Plant)
Cannabis - chemistry
Cannabis - physiology
Case-Control Studies
Cognition & reasoning
Drug abuse
Emotions
Emotions - drug effects
Emotions - physiology
Empathy - drug effects
Empathy - physiology
Event-related potentials
Evoked Potentials - drug effects
Female
Happiness
Humans
Information processing
Male
Marijuana
Medicine and Health Sciences
Middle Aged
Neuropsychology
Physiology
Psychological aspects
Psychology
Reaction Time - drug effects
Reaction Time - physiology
Research and Analysis Methods
Social Sciences
Young Adult
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Summary:The effect of cannabis on emotional processing was investigated using event-related potential paradigms (ERPs). ERPs associated with emotional processing of cannabis users, and non-using controls, were recorded and compared during an implicit and explicit emotional expression recognition and empathy task. Comparisons in P3 component mean amplitudes were made between cannabis users and controls. Results showed a significant decrease in the P3 amplitude in cannabis users compared to controls. Specifically, cannabis users showed reduced P3 amplitudes for implicit compared to explicit processing over centro-parietal sites which reversed, and was enhanced, at fronto-central sites. Cannabis users also showed a decreased P3 to happy faces, with an increase to angry faces, compared to controls. These effects appear to increase with those participants that self-reported the highest levels of cannabis consumption. Those cannabis users with the greatest consumption rates showed the largest P3 deficits for explicit processing and negative emotions. These data suggest that there is a complex relationship between cannabis consumption and emotion processing that appears to be modulated by attention.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0149764