Differential effects of cannabis use on event-related potential (ERP)-indexes of cortical inhibition in cannabis users and non-users

Abstract

Cannabis has psychoactive properties and is thought to be associated with potential structural and functional changes with early and heavy use. Previous research suggests cannabis users (CU) vs. non-users (NU) have deficits on EEG-derived event-related potentials elicited by paired click and visual Go/NoGo paradigms. We used these paradigms to examine inhibitory functioning in CUs (n = 14; 9 male) vs. NUs (n = 16, 4 male). Effect sizes suggest CUs had impaired N100 measures of sensory gating compared to NUs. Additionally, a trend level interaction and latency findings for the P200 suggested CUs had smaller amplitudes and quicker latencies to S1 compared to NUs. Go/NoGo findings revealed enhanced P100 amplitudes in CUs (vs. NUs). No other between-group differences or sex differences were observed. This study provides further support for cannabis-induced deficits on early-attentional processing as indexed by the N100 and novel findings regarding enhanced P100 amplitudes to the Go/NoGo paradigm.