RESULTS Although causality is unclear , heavy and dependent cannabis use is consistently associated with a high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders and learning and memory impairments that seem to recover after a period of abstinence .
Evidence regarding other cognitive domains and neurological consequences including cerebrovascular events is limited and inconsistent .
Abstinence after treatment is only achieved in a minority of cases ; treatment targeted at reduction in use appears have some success .
Potential moderators of the impact of CUD on the brain include age of onset , heaviness of use , CUD severity , the ratio of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol to cannabidiol , and severity of comorbid disorders .
Current evidence of long-term effects of daily cannabis use and cannabis use disorder on brain-related outcomes is suggestive rather than conclusive but use is associated with psychiatric morbidity and with cognitive impairments that recover after a period of abstinence
AIMS To summarize and evaluate our knowledge of the relationship between heavy cannabis use , Cannabis Use Disorder ( CUD ) , and the brain .
CANDIS treatment program for cannabis use disorders: findings from a randomized multi-site translational trial.
BACKGROUND In a recent paper , we reported the efficacy of a modular cognitive-behavioral intervention for treating adolescents and adults with cannabis use disorders ( CUD ) . In this study , we examine the outcome of this intervention after translating it into clinical practice . METHODS A multi-site , r and omized controlled trial of 279 treatment seekers with ICD-10 cannabis use disorders aged 16- 63 years was conducted in 11 outpatient addiction treatment centers in Germany . Patients were r and omly assigned to an Active Treatment ( AT , n=149 ) or Delayed Treatment Control ( DTC , n=130 ) . Treatment consisted of 10 sessions of fully manualized individual psychotherapy that combined Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy , Motivational EnhancementTherapy and problem-solving training . Assessment s were conducted at baseline , during each therapy session , at post-treatment and at three and six month follow-ups . RESULTS At post assessment 53.3 % of AT patients reported abstinence ( 46.3 % negative urine screenings ) compared to 22 % of DTC patients ( 17.7 % negative drug screenings ) ( p<0.001 , Intention-to-treat analysis ) . AT patients improved in the frequency of cannabis use , number of cannabis dependence criteria , severity of dependence , as well as number and severity of cannabis-related problems . Effect sizes were moderate to high . While abstinence rates in the AT group decreased over the 3-month ( negative urine screenings : 32.4 % ) and 6-month ( negative urine screenings : 35.7 % ) follow-up periods , the effects in secondary outcomes were maintained . CONCLUSIONS The intervention can successfully be translated to and applied in clinical practice . It has the potential to improve access to evidence -based care for chronic CUD patients
RESULTS Although causality is unclear , heavy and dependent cannabis use is consistently associated with a high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders and learning and memory impairments that seem to recover after a period of abstinence .
Evidence regarding other cognitive domains and neurological consequences including cerebrovascular events is limited and inconsistent .
Abstinence after treatment is only achieved in a minority of cases ; treatment targeted at reduction in use appears have some success .
Potential moderators of the impact of CUD on the brain include age of onset , heaviness of use , CUD severity , the ratio of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol to cannabidiol , and severity of comorbid disorders .
Current evidence of long-term effects of daily cannabis use and cannabis use disorder on brain-related outcomes is suggestive rather than conclusive but use is associated with psychiatric morbidity and with cognitive impairments that recover after a period of abstinence
AIMS To summarize and evaluate our knowledge of the relationship between heavy cannabis use , Cannabis Use Disorder ( CUD ) , and the brain .