Gene could help identify psychosis risk in cannabis users

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-02/uoe-gch021116.php

Public Release: 16-Feb-2016
Gene could help identify psychosis risk in cannabis users
Researchers at the University of Exeter and UCL (University College London) have identified a gene which can be used to predict how susceptible a young person is to the mind-altering effects of smoking cannabis
University of Exeter

Researchers at the University of Exeter and UCL (University College London) have identified a gene which can be used to predict how susceptible a young person is to the mind-altering effects of smoking cannabis. The finding could help identify otherwise healthy users who are most at risk of developing psychosis.

The research, funded by the Medical Research Council and published today in Translational Psychiatry, also show that female cannabis smokers are potentially more susceptible to short-term memory loss than males. Previous studies in this field have looked at people who already have psychosis, but this is the first study to look at healthy people and to examine their acute response - or how the drug affects their minds.

Previous research has found a link between the AKT1 gene and people who have gone on to develop psychosis. In the new study, Celia Morgan, Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter and Professor Val Curran and her team from UCL found that young people with variation in the 'AKT1' gene experienced visual distortions, paranoia and other psychotic-like symptoms more strongly when they were under the influence of cannabis.

Around one per cent of cannabis users develop psychosis. Although low in number, the impact can be devastating and long lasting. It is known that smoking cannabis daily doubles an individual's risk of developing a psychotic disorder, but it has been difficult to establish who is most vulnerable. Researchers have previously found a high prevalence of one variant of the AKT1 genotype in cannabis users who went on to develop psychosis as a result of their use. This is the first research that shows the link between the same gene and the effects of smoked cannabis in healthy young people.

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