Functional brain connectomes reflect acute and chronic cannabis use
Johannes G. Ramaekers, Natasha L. Mason, Stefan W. Toennes, Eef L. Theunissen, Enrico Amico
Scientific Reports February 14, 2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06509-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Within-subjects, placebo-controlled, crossover study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 26 |
| Population | Cannabis users (chronic and occasional) |
| Intervention | placebo |
| Topics | Cannabis CBD Default mode network |
| Keywords | Resting State FMRI Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol Nerve net Human connectome project Effects of cannabis Human brain Functional connectivity Cannabinoid |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key points | Chronic cannabis users exhibited broad hyperconnectivity across major brain networks compared to occasional users, while acute intoxication produced a distinct pattern of hypoconnectivity in some networks and hyperconnectivity between default mode and ventral attention networks linked to subjective high. |
Abstract
Resting state fMRI has been employed to identify alterations in functional connectivity within or between brain regions following acute and chronic exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component in cannabis. Most studies focused a priori on a limited number of local brain areas or circuits, without considering the impact of cannabis on whole-brain network organization. The present study attempted to identify changes in the whole-brain human functional connectome as assessed with ultra-high field (7T) resting state scans of cannabis users (N = 26) during placebo and following vaporization of cannabis. Two distinct data-driven methodologies, i.e. network-based statistics (NBS) and connICA, were used to identify changes in functional connectomes associated with acute cannabis intoxication and history of cannabis use. Both methodologies revealed a broad state of hyperconnectivity within the entire range of major brain networks in chronic cannabis users compared to occasional cannabis users, which might be reflective of an adaptive network reorganization following prolonged cannabis exposure. The connICA methodology also extracted a distinct spatial connectivity pattern of hypoconnectivity involving the dorsal attention, limbic, subcortical and cerebellum networks and of hyperconnectivity between the default mode and ventral attention network, that was associated with the feeling of subjective high during THC intoxication. Whole-brain network approaches identified spatial patterns in functional brain connectomes that distinguished acute from chronic cannabis use, and offer an important utility for probing the interplay between short and long-term alterations in functional brain dynamics when progressing from occasional to chronic use of cannabis.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 48 |
| Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... | 2009 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial | n = 15 |
| Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 16 |
| Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... | 2009 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use | 2019 | Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Effects of inhaled cannabis high in Δ9-THC or CBD on the aging brain: A translational MRI and behavioral study Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience February 1, 2023
- Acute effects of different types of cannabis on young adult and adolescent resting-state brain networks Neuropsychopharmacology May 28, 2024
- The psychedelic effects of cannabis: A review of the literature Journal of Psychopharmacology November 10, 2023
- Cannabis Use and Neuroadaptation: A Call for Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Challenge Studies Frontiers in Psychiatry April 14, 2022
- Acute cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and their mixture (THC:CBD) exert differential effects on brain activity and blood flow in rats: A translational neuroimaging study. Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2026
and 6 more in the library
Cites 19
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity Journal of Psychopharmacology April 23, 2019
- Cannabis and tolerance: acute drug impairment as a function of cannabis use history Scientific Reports May 26, 2016
- Subcortical Local Functional Hyperconnectivity in Cannabis Dependence Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging November 23, 2017
- Cannabis and cocaine decrease cognitive impulse control and functional corticostriatal connectivity in drug users with low activity DBH genotypes Brain Imaging and Behavior December 14, 2015
and 14 more in the library