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Borissova A, Soni S, Aston ER, Lees R, Petrilli K, Wall MB, Bloomfield MAP, Mertzani E, Paksina A, Freeman TP, Mokrysz C, Lawn W, Curran HV. Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward? Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 238:109531. [PMID: 35809475 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a period of psychological and neural development in which harms associated with cannabis use may be heightened. We hypothesised that adolescent who use cannabis (adolescentsWUC) would have steeper delay discounting (preference for immediate over future rewards) and greater demand (relative valuation) for cannabis than adults who use cannabis (adultsWUC). METHODS This cross-sectional study, part of the 'CannTeen' project, compared adultsWUC (n = 71, 26-29 years old) and adolescentsWUC (n = 76, 16-17 years old), and gender- and age-matched adolescent (n = 63) and adult (n = 64) controls. AdolescentsWUC and adultsWUC used cannabis 1-7 days/week and were matched on cannabis use frequency (4 days/week). The Monetary Choice Questionnaire assessed delay discounting. A modified Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) assessed cannabis demand in adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC. The MPT yielded five indices: intensity (amount of cannabis used at zero cost), Omax (total peak expenditure), Pmax (price at peak expenditure), breakpoint (cost at which cannabis demand is suppressed to zero) and elasticity (degree to which cannabis use decreases with increasing price). Analyses were adjusted for covariates of gender, socioeconomic status, other illicit drug use. RESULTS Both adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC had steeper delay discounting than controls (F, (1,254)= 9.13, p = 0.003, ηp2= 0.04), with no significant age effect or interaction. AdolescentsWUC showed higher intensity (F, (1,138)= 9.76, p = 0.002, ηp2= 0.07) and lower elasticity (F, (1,138)= 15.25, p < 0.001, ηp2= 0.10) than adultsWUC. There were no significant differences in Pmax, Omax or breakpoint. CONCLUSION Individuals who use cannabis prefer immediate rewards more than controls. AdolescentsWUC, compared to adultsWUC, may be in a high-risk category with diminished sensitivity to cannabis price increases and a greater consumption of cannabis when it is free.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Borissova
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - S Soni
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - E R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - R Lees
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - K Petrilli
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - M B Wall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Invicro London, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - M A P Bloomfield
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Psychiatric Imaging Group, Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - E Mertzani
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A Paksina
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - T P Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - C Mokrysz
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - W Lawn
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - H V Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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O'Donnell BF, Skosnik PD, Hetrick WP, Fridberg DJ. Decision Making and Impulsivity in Young Adult Cannabis Users. Front Psychol 2021; 12:679904. [PMID: 34276500 PMCID: PMC8280309 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.679904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: Chronic cannabis users show impairments on laboratory measures of decision making which reflect risk factors for initiation and continued use of cannabis. However, the differential sensitivity of these tasks to cannabis use has not been established. Moreover, studies to date have often lacked assessment of psychiatric histories and use of other illicit substances, both of which may influence decision making outcomes. The current study aimed to address these limitations by (1) including multiple types of decision making tasks, (2) implementing the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task, a measure of decision making under uncertainty, for the first time in cannabis users, (3) including young adult cannabis users with no other psychiatric disorders, and (4) conducting urinalysis to exclude users of other illicit drugs. Methods: Thirty-three current cannabis users without comorbid psychiatric disorders and 35 cannabis non-users completed behavioral measures of decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task), reward discounting (Delay Discounting Task), choice-outcome learning (the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task) and a questionnaire assessment of impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale). Results: Relative to non-users, cannabis users demonstrated greater preference for immediate vs. delayed rewards on the Delay Discounting Task, made fewer advantageous decisions on the Iowa Gambling Task, and endorsed greater impulsivity on the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale scales. Cannabis users and non-users showed comparable performance on the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task. Frequency of past-month cannabis use and total years of use did not predict decision making or impulsivity. Conclusions: Young adult cannabis users demonstrated higher discounting rates and impairments in learning cost-benefit contingencies, while reversal learning was unaffected. Self-reported impulsivity was elevated as well. None of these measures correlated with current or lifetime estimates of cannabis use, arguing against a dose-relationship. Interventions that target improvement in affected components of decision making may be helpful in reducing cannabis use and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian F O'Donnell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Patrick D Skosnik
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - William P Hetrick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Daniel J Fridberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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