Multimodal MRI data fusion reveals distinct structural, functional and neurochemical correlates of heavy cannabis use
Dusan Hirjak, Mike M. Schmitgen, Florian Werler, Miriam Wittemann, Katharina M Kubera, Nadine D. Wolf, Fabio Sambataro, Vince D Calhoun, Wolfgang Reith, Robert Christian Wolf
Addiction Biology November 22, 2021 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13113 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Persons with heavy cannabis use and controls without cannabis-use disorder or other current and lifetime major mental disorders |
| Topics | Serotonin Cannabis |
| Keywords | Neurochemical Grey matter Neuroimaging Cognition Magnetic resonance imaging White matter |
| Citations | 33 |
| Key findings | Heavy cannabis use is associated with co-altered grey matter volume in cerebello-temporo-thalamic regions and intrinsic neural activity in fronto-parietal regions, linked to serotonergic, dopaminergic, and μ-opioid receptor systems. |
Abstract
Heavy cannabis use (HCU) is frequently associated with a plethora of cognitive, psychopathological and sensorimotor phenomena. Although HCU is frequent, specific patterns of abnormal brain structure and function underlying HCU in individuals presenting without cannabis-use disorder or other current and life-time major mental disorders are unclear at present. This multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study examined resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and structural MRI (sMRI) data from 24 persons with HCU and 16 controls. Parallel independent component analysis (p-ICA) was used to examine covarying components among grey matter volume (GMV) maps computed from sMRI and intrinsic neural activity (INA), as derived from amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) maps computed from rs-fMRI data. Further, we used JuSpace toolbox for cross-modal correlations between MRI-based modalities with nuclear imaging derived estimates, to examine specific neurotransmitter system changes underlying HCU. We identified two transmodal components, which significantly differed between the HCU and controls (GMV: p = 0.01, ALFF p = 0.03, respectively). The GMV component comprised predominantly cerebello-temporo-thalamic regions, whereas the INA component included fronto-parietal regions. Across HCU, loading parameters of both components were significantly associated with distinct HCU behavior. Finally, significant associations between GMV and the serotonergic system as well as between INA and the serotonergic, dopaminergic and μ-opioid receptor system were detected. This study provides novel multimodal neuromechanistic insights into HCU suggesting co-altered structure/function-interactions in neural systems subserving cognitive and sensorimotor functions.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning 104 chronic cannabis users (49 early-onset before age 15, 55 late-onset after age 15)... | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional study | n = 148 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 600 |
| Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... | 2012 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 337 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Network topology and cannabis use following two weeks of monitored abstinence: moderation of sex and patterns of use findings. Frontiers in adolescent medicine 2025
- Insular Cortical Thinning and Altered Structural Connectivity in Chronic Cannabis Users: A High-Resolution Morphometry and Diffusion Tractography Study
Cites 15
- Cognitive Impairment Induced by Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol Occurs through Heteromers between Cannabinoid CB1 and Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptors PLoS Biology July 9, 2015
- Attenuated frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia in cannabis users Addiction Biology March 3, 2016
- Effects of Chronic Exposure to Low-Dose delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Adolescence and Adulthood on Serotonin/Norepinephrine Neurotransmission and Emotional Behavior The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology July 23, 2020
- Effects of cannabidiol in cannabis flower: Implications for harm reduction. Addiction Biology 2022
- Altered cerebellar-cortical resting-state functional connectivity in cannabis users Journal of Psychopharmacology May 25, 2021
and 10 more in the library