Title : Towards a new dynamic interaction model of CUD prevention, manifestation and treatment in adolescents
Abstract:
Background: Cannabis is one of the most popular drugs of the 21st century, especially among adolescents. Evidence of a variety of lasting neuropsychological deficits as a result of chronic cannabis use has increased. Furthermore, regular alcohol and cannabis use are found to be predictors of less motivation in school, truancy, and eventually school dropout. Motivation level and school attendance are important factors to take into consideration, as they may play a role in the relationship between cannabis use, executive functions and school performance.
Aim: Our goal is to contribute to the implementation of current knowledge in addiction treatment and emphasize the importance of up to date clinical practice guidelines for adolescent CUD in which both the drug, set as well as the setting are being taken into account.
Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for relevant publications as part of a narrative review, with select additions of recent findings based on collective suggestions of the authors.
Results: The brain continues to develop throughout adolescence. Frontal cortical areas, responsible for executive functioning, are the last to reach maturity. Frequent use of cannabis during adolescence could disrupt normal brain development, thus impair cognitive functioning and increasing vulnerability to drug addiction. Individual and environmental risk factors play an important role in the development of CUD in adolescents. School performance, motivation, and attendance can be negatively influenced by persistent cannabis use patterns and impaired executive functions.
Conclusion: We propose a model in which cannabis use, executive functions, and school performance are interrelated in a multidirectional way. We argue that the three dimensions of drug, set, and setting contribute significantly to the dynamics of this interrelationship and to the eventual manifestation of CUD. Based on this dynamic interaction model, recommendations are made for preventive and therapeutic interventions for the treatment of adolescents with CUD.
