Journal
PHARMACOPSYCHIATRY
Volume 45, Issue 7, Pages 269-274Publisher
GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1306310
Keywords
ketamine; cannabis; cocaine; dependence; prodrome; schizophrenia
Categories
Funding
- Medical Research Council [G0800268] Funding Source: Medline
- MRC [G0800268] Funding Source: UKRI
- Medical Research Council [G0800268] Funding Source: researchfish
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Background: Ketamine, psychostimulants and cannabis have all been associated with psychotic phenomena but no study has directly compared users of these drugs. Aims: The aim Of this study was to assess schizophrenia proneness and neurocognitive function in individuals dependent upon ketamine, cannabis and cocaine. Method: 130 volunteers - 29 'skunk' users, 22 cocaine users, 21 ketamine users, along with 28 'recreational' poly-drug users and 30 drug-naive controls - were assessed on the Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument, Adult version (SPI-A). They were specifically asked to rate symptoms when not under the acute influence of a psychoactive drug. Results: Ketamine and skunk users manifested the greatest attentional and cognitive disturbances. The symptom profile of the dependent ketamine users was very similar to that of prodromal individuals who transitioned to psychosis. Conclusions: Given the recent rapid rise in use of high potency cannabis and of ketamine, these findings are important and clinicians should be careful to rule out the effects of persistent drug use, especially in users of ketamine or skunk, when assessing an individual's risk of psychosis. A longitudinal study is needed to differentiate which basic symptoms persist following abstention from ketamine and skunk.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available