SynthesisHarvard review of psychiatry
Neurodevelopmental Effects of Cannabis Use in Adolescents and Emerging Adults with ADHD: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Harvard review of psychiatry. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cannabinoids and ADHD: a New Frontier in Neuropharmacology?Journal of molecular neuroscience : MN · 2025Review
- Gender Differences in Cannabis as a Mediator Between Distress Factors and Non-Fatal Suicidal Behaviors.International journal of mental health and addiction · 2025Article
- Review
- Challenges of Treating ADHD with Comorbid Substance Use Disorder: Considerations for the Clinician.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Adolescent Substance Use Disorders.NEJM evidence · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveSystematically review the scientific literature to characterize the effects of cannabis use on brain structure, function, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in adolescents and young adults with ADHD.
methodSystematic review following PRISMA guidelines utilizing PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane CENTRAL trials register from inception until 1 January 2020. Articles that examined the impact of cannabis use on youth with ADHD were included.
resultsEleven studies were identified that compared outcomes for individuals with ADHD who used cannabis or synthetic cannabinoids against those with ADHD who did not. Seven of these studies used neuroimaging techniques, including fMRI, structural MRI, and SPECT. Differential regions of activation were identified, including the right hippocampus and cerebellar vermis, and bilateral temporal lobes. Morphological differences were identified in the right precentral and postcentral gyri, left nucleus accumbens, right superior frontal and postcentral gyri. No study identified any additive or ADHD × cannabis use interaction on neuropsychological tasks of executive function. Two studies found adverse differential impacts of early-onset cannabis use in this population.
conclusionA dearth of evidence is available on the impact of cannabis use on the developing brain and functioning for individuals with ADHD, despite the elevated risk for substance use in this population. The limited, potentially underpowered evidence does not support the hypothesis that cannabis use has a deleterious impact on neuropsychological tasks in transitional age youth with ADHD. Larger and longer-term studies are needed, however, to better inform clinicians and patients as to the impacts of cannabis use in youth with ADHD.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.