Chronic Cannabis users exhibit altered oscillatory dynamics and functional connectivity serving visuospatial processing.
Camilo A Castelblanco, Seth D Springer, Mikki Schantell, Jason A John, Anna T Coutant, Lucy K Horne, Ryan Glesinger, Jacob A. Eastman, Tony W Wilson
Journal of Psychopharmacology August 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/02698811241265764 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 97 |
| Population | Regular cannabis users and demographically matched non-user controls |
| Topics | Cannabis CBD |
| Keywords | Alpha Attention Gamma Magnetoencephalography Theta |
| Key findings | Chronic cannabis users exhibited weaker theta oscillations in occipital and cerebellar regions and weaker gamma responses in left temporal cortices compared to non-users, with reduced alpha connectivity among higher-order attention areas. |
Abstract
Cannabis is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the United States. While multiple studies have associated acute cannabis consumption with alterations in cognitive function (e.g., visual and spatial attention), far less is known regarding the effects of chronic consumption on the neural dynamics supporting these cognitive functions. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) and an established visuospatial processing task to elicit multi-spectral neuronal responses in 44 regular cannabis users and 53 demographically matched non-user controls. To examine the effects of chronic cannabis use on the oscillatory dynamics underlying visuospatial processing, neural responses were imaged using a time-frequency resolved beamformer and compared across groups. Neuronal oscillations serving visuospatial processing were identified in the theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-14 Hz), and gamma range (56-76 Hz), and these were imaged and examined for group differences. Our key results indicated that users exhibited weaker theta oscillations in occipital and cerebellar regions and weaker gamma responses in the left temporal cortices compared to non-users. Lastly, alpha oscillations did not differ, but alpha connectivity among higher-order attention areas was weaker in cannabis users relative to non-users and correlated with performance. Overall, these results suggest that chronic cannabis users have alterations in the oscillatory dynamics and neural connectivity serving visuospatial attention. Such alterations were observed across multiple cortical areas critical for higher-order processing and may reflect compensatory activity and/or the initial emergence of aberrant dynamics. Future work is needed to fully understand the implications of altered multispectral oscillations and neural connectivity in cannabis users.
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
Cites 15
- Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) impairs visual working memory performance: a randomized crossover trial. Neuropsychopharmacology October 1, 2020
- Altered functional connectivity and oscillatory dynamics in polysubstance and cannabis only users during visuospatial processing. Psychopharmacology April 2023
- Altered longitudinal trajectory of default mode network connectivity in healthy youth with subclinical depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience February 17, 2023
- Regular cannabis use modulates the impact of HIV on the neural dynamics serving cognitive control. Journal of Psychopharmacology December 2022
- Aberrant inhibitory processing in the somatosensory cortices of cannabis-users. Journal of Psychopharmacology November 2021
and 10 more in the library