Attenuated frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia in cannabis users
Laura Blanco‐Hinojo, Jesus Pujol, Ben J. Harrison, Dídac Macià, Albert Batalla, Santiago Nogué, Marta Torrens, Magı́ Farré, Joan Deus, Rocío Martín‐Santos
Addiction Biology March 3, 2016 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12370 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 57 |
| Population | Chronic cannabis users and controls |
| Duration | One month of abstinence |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Basal ganglia Frontal lobe Inferior frontal gyrus Striatum Sensory system Context archaeology Go/no go Central nervous system Dopamine |
| Citations | 52 |
| Key findings | Chronic cannabis use attenuates frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia, impairing responsiveness to both internal and external motivation signals, with a tendency to normalize after abstinence. |
Abstract
Heavy cannabis use is associated with reduced motivation. The basal ganglia, central in the motivation system, have the brain's highest cannabinoid receptor density. The frontal lobe is functionally coupled to the basal ganglia via segregated frontal-subcortical circuits conveying information from internal, self-generated activity. The basal ganglia, however, receive additional influence from the sensory system to further modulate purposeful behaviors according to the context. We postulated that cannabis use would impact functional connectivity between the basal ganglia and both internal (frontal cortex) and external (sensory cortices) sources of influence. Resting-state functional connectivity was measured in 28 chronic cannabis users and 29 controls. Selected behavioral tests included reaction time, verbal fluency and exposition to affective pictures. Assessments were repeated after one month of abstinence. Cannabis exposure was associated with (1) attenuation of the positive correlation between the striatum and areas pertaining to the 'limbic' frontal-basal ganglia circuit, and (2) attenuation of the negative correlation between the striatum and the fusiform gyrus, which is critical in recognizing significant visual features. Connectivity alterations were associated with lower arousal in response to affective pictures. Functional connectivity changes had a tendency to normalize after abstinence. The results overall indicate that frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia are attenuated after chronic exposure to cannabis. This effect is consistent with the common behavioral consequences of chronic cannabis use concerning diminished responsiveness to both internal and external motivation signals. Such an impairment of the fine-tuning in the motivation system notably reverts after abstinence.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Shifted balance of dorsal versus ventral striatal communication with frontal reward and regulatory regions in cannabis‐dependent males Human Brain Mapping September 12, 2018
- Subcortical Local Functional Hyperconnectivity in Cannabis Dependence Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging November 23, 2017
- Multimodal MRI data fusion reveals distinct structural, functional and neurochemical correlates of heavy cannabis use Addiction Biology November 22, 2021
- Chronic cannabis use is associated with alterations in resting-state cerebellar-cortical connectivity. Psychopharmacology December 12, 2025
and 6 more in the library
Cites 7
- Disrupted gamma-band neural oscillations during coherent motion perception in heavy cannabis users. Neuropsychopharmacology December 2014
- Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals distinct brain activity in heavy cannabis users - a multi-voxel pattern analysis. Journal of Psychopharmacology November 2014
- Functional connectivity alterations in brain networks relevant to self-awareness in chronic cannabis users. Journal of Psychiatric Research April 2014
- Altered brain activation during visuomotor integration in chronic active cannabis users: relationship to cortisol levels. Journal of Neuroscience December 7, 2011
- Altered affective response in marijuana smokers: an FMRI study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 1, 2009
and 2 more in the library