Objective:Cannabis use is associated with relative cognitive weaknesses as observed by cross-sectional as well as longitudinal research. Longitudinal studies, controlling for relevant confounds, are necessary to differentiate premorbid from post-initiation contributions to these effects.Methods:We followed a sample of adolescents and young adults across ten years. Participants provided neurocognitive data and substance use information at two-year intervals. Participants who initiated cannabis and/or alcohol use were identified (n = 86) and split into alcohol-only initiators (n = 39) and infrequent (n = 29) and moderately frequent (n = 18) cannabis initiators. Participants completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task (RAVLT) and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Group differences before and after substance use initiation and the extent to which alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use frequencies contributed to cognitive functions over time were examined.Results:After controlling for parental education, RAVLT new learning was worse in moderately frequent cannabis users prior to use initiation. RAVLT total learning and delayed recall showed significant declines from pre- to post-initiation in moderately frequent cannabis users. Regression analyses confirmed that frequencies of cannabis, but not alcohol, use contributed to post-initiation variations. Nicotine use showed an independent negative association with delayed memory. Findings for the IGT were not significant.Conclusions:Verbal learning and memory may be disrupted following the initiation of moderately frequent cannabis use while decreased new learning may represent a premorbid liability. Our use of a control group of alcohol-only users adds interpretive clarity to the findings and suggests that future studies should carefully control for comorbid substance use.

中文翻译：

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在青春期和青年期开始适度频繁使用大麻与语言学习和记忆的下降有关：前后认知表现的纵向比较

目的：通过横断面和纵向研究观察到，大麻的使用与相对认知弱点有关。控制相关混杂因素的纵向研究对于区分发病前和发病后对这些影响的贡献是必要的。方法：我们跟踪了十年来的青少年和年轻人样本。参与者每两年提供一次神经认知数据和物质使用信息。确定了开始使用大麻和/或酒精的参与者（n= 86）并分成仅含酒精的引发剂（n= 39) 和不常见的 (n= 29) 和中等频率 (n= 18) 大麻引发剂。参与者完成了 Rey 听觉语言学习任务 (RAVLT) 和爱荷华州赌博任务 (IGT)。研究了开始使用物质之前和之后的群体差异，以及酒精、尼古丁和大麻使用频率对认知功能的贡献程度。使用启动。RAVLT 总学习和延迟回忆显示，在中度频繁的大麻使用者中，从开始前到开始后显着下降。回归分析证实，大麻的使用频率，但不是酒精的使用，导致了开始后的变化。尼古丁的使用显示出与记忆延迟的独立负相关。IGT 的结果并不显着。结论：开始中度频繁使用大麻后，语言学习和记忆可能会受到干扰，而新学习的减少可能是病前的责任。我们使用仅饮酒的对照组增加了对研究结果的解释清晰度，并建议未来的研究应仔细控制共病物质的使用。