Monday, July 9, 2012
Marijuana, Working Memory, and Schizophrenia
Fascinating article: Effects of Δ9-THC on Working Memory: Implications for Schizophrenia? It turns out that marijuana use produces in psychiatrically healthy individuals similar problems with working memory (what you might call short-term memory) to the similar problems experienced by those with schizophrenia. While there remains some argument about whether marijuana use causes those at genetic risk to develop schizophrenia, the similarity of the symptoms certainly does suggest some connections.
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A good friend developed schizophrenia while in college, and there was definitely high drug use correlation. His symptoms would increase dramatically when he got high.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a scientist or expert of any kind, but thought I'd share.
It also causes problems with long-term memory as well. For example, I noticed a common assumption on the left side during the health-insurance debates: that if a behavior is mandated or prohibited nearly everybody will, of course, obey the law. They don't believe people will respond to incentives to have or drop health insurance but will respond to a legal requirement to do so.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that people who smoked enough dope in college don't recall it (or, apparently, that anybody else their age had done so) but I didn't believe that until a few years ago...