Episodic foresight deficits in regular, but not recreational, cannabis users

Abstract

Background: Cannabis use is associated with a range of neurocognitive deficits, including impaired episodic memory. However, no study to date has assessed whether these difficulties extend to episodic foresight, a core component of which is the ability to mentally travel into one's personal future. This is a particularly surprising omission given that episodic memory is considered to be critical to engage episodic foresight.

Aims: In the present study, we provide the first test of how episodic foresight is affected in the context of differing levels of cannabis use, and the degree to which performance on a measure of this construct is related to episodic memory.

Results: Fifty-seven regular cannabis users (23 recreational, 34 regular) and 57 controls were assessed using an adapted version of the Autobiographical Interview. The results showed that regular-users exhibited greater impairment of episodic foresight and episodic memory than both recreational-users and cannabis-naïve controls.

Conclusions: These data therefore show for the first time that cannabis-related disruption of cognitive functioning extends to the capacity for episodic foresight, and they are discussed in relation to their potential implications for functional outcomes in this group.

Keywords: Autobiographical Interview; Episodic foresight; cannabis; episodic memory.