Regular cannabis users showed better facial emotion recognition, including those with schizophrenia
Lifetime regular cannabis use was associated with better facial emotion recognition across patients with schizophrenia, their siblings, and healthy controls, with later onset of use linked to better performance in those with higher genetic risk.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Better facial emotion recognition was associated with lifetime regular cannabis use across all three groups: schizophrenia patients (B=1.36), siblings (B=2.17), and healthy controls (B=3.10). In patients and siblings (higher genetic risk), those who started cannabis after age 16 performed better than earlier starters and non-users. In healthy controls, cannabis users performed better regardless of age of onset.
Key Numbers
6,229 total participants. Effect sizes: schizophrenia B=1.36, siblings B=2.17, healthy controls B=3.10. Age 16 threshold significant for schizophrenia patients and siblings but not controls.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional analysis of 6,229 participants from the EUGEI study: 2,039 with schizophrenia, 2,141 siblings, and 2,049 healthy controls. Facial emotion recognition measured using the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR).
Why This Research Matters
Social cognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia. The surprising finding that cannabis use is associated with better, not worse, emotion recognition challenges assumptions about cannabis and cognitive function.
The Bigger Picture
This could reflect a selection effect (those with better social cognition are more likely to use cannabis socially) rather than cannabis improving emotion recognition.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine causation. Selection bias is likely. Current cannabis use was not associated with better performance. Self-reported cannabis history.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do people with better social cognition gravitate toward cannabis use, or does cannabis experience enhance emotion recognition?
- ?Why does age of first use matter only for those with higher genetic risk?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Better emotion recognition in cannabis users across all three groups
- Evidence Grade:
- Very large sample across three well-defined groups, but cross-sectional design and likely selection bias limit interpretation.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022.
- Original Title:
- The association between cannabis use and facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study.
- Published In:
- European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 63, 47-59 (2022)
- Authors:
- Fusar-Poli, Laura(2), Pries, Lotta-Katrin(2), van Os, Jim(19), Radhakrishnan, Rajiv, Pençe, Ayşegül Yay, Erzin, Gamze, Delespaul, Philippe, Kenis, Gunter, Luykx, Jurjen J, Lin, Bochao D, Akdede, Berna, Binbay, Tolga, Altınyazar, Vesile, Yalınçetin, Berna, Gümüş-Akay, Güvem, Cihan, Burçin, Soygür, Haldun, Ulaş, Halis, Cankurtaran, Eylem Şahin, Kaymak, Semra Ulusoy, Mihaljevic, Marina M, Andric-Petrovic, Sanja, Mirjanic, Tijana, Bernardo, Miguel, Mezquida, Gisela, Amoretti, Silvia, Bobes, Julio, Saiz, Pilar A, García-Portilla, Maria Paz, Sanjuan, Julio, Aguilar, Eduardo J, Santos, José Luis, Jiménez-López, Estela, Arrojo, Manuel, Carracedo, Angel, López, Gonzalo, González-Peñas, Javier, Parellada, Mara, Maric, Nadja P, Atbaşoğlu, Cem, Üçok, Alp, Alptekin, Köksal, Saka, Meram Can, Aguglia, Eugenio, Arango, Celso, Rutten, Bart Pf, Guloksuz, Sinan
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03855
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does this mean cannabis improves social cognition?
Not necessarily. The association could reflect selection bias, where people with better social skills are more likely to use cannabis in social settings. Current cannabis use was not linked to better performance.
Did age of first cannabis use matter?
For those with higher genetic risk (schizophrenia patients and siblings), starting cannabis after age 16 was associated with better emotion recognition than starting earlier. For healthy controls, cannabis users performed better regardless of when they started.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03855APA
Fusar-Poli, Laura; Pries, Lotta-Katrin; van Os, Jim; Radhakrishnan, Rajiv; Pençe, Ayşegül Yay; Erzin, Gamze; Delespaul, Philippe; Kenis, Gunter; Luykx, Jurjen J; Lin, Bochao D; Akdede, Berna; Binbay, Tolga; Altınyazar, Vesile; Yalınçetin, Berna; Gümüş-Akay, Güvem; Cihan, Burçin; Soygür, Haldun; Ulaş, Halis; Cankurtaran, Eylem Şahin; Kaymak, Semra Ulusoy; Mihaljevic, Marina M; Andric-Petrovic, Sanja; Mirjanic, Tijana; Bernardo, Miguel; Mezquida, Gisela; Amoretti, Silvia; Bobes, Julio; Saiz, Pilar A; García-Portilla, Maria Paz; Sanjuan, Julio; Aguilar, Eduardo J; Santos, José Luis; Jiménez-López, Estela; Arrojo, Manuel; Carracedo, Angel; López, Gonzalo; González-Peñas, Javier; Parellada, Mara; Maric, Nadja P; Atbaşoğlu, Cem; Üçok, Alp; Alptekin, Köksal; Saka, Meram Can; Aguglia, Eugenio; Arango, Celso; Rutten, Bart Pf; Guloksuz, Sinan. (2022). The association between cannabis use and facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study.. European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 63, 47-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.08.003
MLA
Fusar-Poli, Laura, et al. "The association between cannabis use and facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study.." European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.08.003
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "The association between cannabis use and facial emotion reco..." RTHC-03855. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/fusar-poli-2022-the-association-between-cannabis
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.