Cannabis use in adolescents and anxiety symptoms and disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The use of cannabis is highly prevalent during adolescence compared to the general adult population. In addition to the high comorbidity between cannabis use and anxiety disorders, early evidence suggests that cannabis may precede the development of anxiety. Moreover, adolescence represents a major developmental period for both neurobiological and psychological processes, placing these individuals at a heightened vulnerability to the influence of cannabis.

Neurocognitive moderation of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) effects on cannabis use in schizophrenia: a preliminary analysis.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising treatment for cannabis use disorder in schizophrenia; however, gaps in the literature remain as to the potential role of neurocognitive functioning in treatment response. We evaluated the moderating role of select cognitive functions including baseline executive functioning, verbal memory, and sustained attention, and we explore the mediating role of changes in task performance on changes in cannabis use in both active and sham rTMS groups. Participants underwent high-frequency (20 Hz) rTMS applied to the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex 5x/week for 4 weeks.

Neuromodulation to Treat Substance Use Disorders in People With Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses: A Systematic Review.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a common yet poorly studied comorbidity in individuals with psychotic disorders. The co-occurrence of the two complicates recovery and interferes with pharmacological and behavioral treatment response and adherence. Recently, researchers have been exploring both invasive and non-invasive neuromodulation techniques as potential treatment methods for SUDs.

Investigating repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on cannabis use and cognition in people with schizophrenia.

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) occurs at high rates in schizophrenia, which negatively impacts its clinical prognosis. These patients have greater difficulty quitting cannabis which may reflect putative deficits in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a potential target for treatment development. We examined the effects of active versus sham high-frequency (20-Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on cannabis use in outpatients with schizophrenia and CUD.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of sex differences in cannabis use disorder amongst people with comorbid mental illness.

Background: While males are more likely diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (CUD), females are more susceptible to developing and maintaining CUD. Yet, for both sexes, CUD is associated with high rates of comorbid mental illness (MI).

Objectives: To identify and compare sex differences in the prevalence of comorbid CUD amongst individuals with/without MIs.

Ketamine Treatment in Depression: A Systematic Review of Clinical Characteristics Predicting Symptom Improvement.

Ketamine has been shown to be efficacious for the treatment of depression, specifically among individuals who do not respond to first-line treatments. There is still, however, a lack of clarity surrounding the clinical features and response periods across samples that respond to ketamine. This paper systematically reviews published randomized controlled trials that investigate ketamine as an antidepressant intervention in both unipolar and bipolar depression to determine the specific clinical features of the samples across different efficacy periods.

Effects of Tobacco Smoking Status on Verbal Learning and Memory in Patients With Schizophrenia and Non-Psychiatric Controls.

Background And Objectives: Patients with schizophrenia have higher rates of tobacco smoking compared to the general population. Moreover, these patients have deficits in cognition, including verbal learning and memory. However, it is not clear whether smoking status alters verbal learning and memory in schizophrenia.

Neurobiological Determinants of Tobacco Smoking in Schizophrenia.

To provide an overview of the underlying neurobiology of tobacco smoking in schizophrenia, and implications for treatment of this comorbidity. Explanations for heavy tobacco smoking in schizophrenia include pro-cognitive effects of nicotine, and remediation of the underlying pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Nicotine may ameliorate neurochemical deficits through nicotine acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) located on the dopamine, glutamate, and GABA neurons.

Cannabis and mental illness: a review.

With the increasing push to legalize cannabis in Western nations, there is a need to gage the potential impact of this policy change on vulnerable populations, such as those with mental illness, including schizophrenia, mood, and anxiety disorders. This is particularly important as there are strong motives in these individuals to seek short-term reward (e.g.

The neurobiology of impulsivity and substance use disorders: implications for treatment.

Impulsivity is strongly associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). Our review discusses impulsivity as an underlying vulnerability marker for SUDs, and treatment of co-occurring impulsivity in SUDs. Three factors should be considered for the complex relationship between impulsivity and a SUD: (1) the trait effect of impulsivity, centering on decreased cognitive and response inhibition, (2) the state effect resulting from either acute or chronic substance use on brain structure and function, and (3) the genetic and environmental factors (e.