Chronic cannabis use associated with subcortical topological reorganization of structural connectivity in adults.
R P Bell, J R Cohen, Sheri L Towe, S Gadde, K Al-Khalil, A Costello, A W Song, Christina S Meade
Drug and Alcohol Dependence September 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111405 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 113 |
| Population | Adults who used cannabis regularly and adults who did not use cannabis |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Diffusion imaging Graph theory Modules Tractography |
| Key findings | Cannabis users showed higher within-module degree, local efficiency, and network strength in a right subcortical module compared to non-users, with no significant whole-brain differences. |
Abstract
Cannabis is commonly used in the United States. However, chronic cannabis use has been linked to alterations in white matter (WM) integrity. Studies investigating WM in people who use cannabis (PWC) have produced varying results, which may be due to a variety of factors, including a focus on individual WM tracts. Here, we examined WM connectivity using a module-based approach to help clarify whether cannabis use is associated with differences in WM organization. Connectomics is used to map complex networks of inter and intra-connected cortical and subcortical regions. A key concept of brain organization is the presence of groups of densely interconnected regions, referred to as modules. Here, we used WM structural connectivity estimates to compare connectome organization between adults who used cannabis regularly (n=53), and adults who did not use cannabis (n=60). We quantified aspects of network organization both across the whole brain and within specific modules. There were no significant results between groups after correcting for multiple comparisons for whole-brain metrics. When considering group differences in network organization metrics for 10 identified modules, we observed that adult PWC showed higher within-module degree, local efficiency, and network strength in a right subcortical module relative to adults that did not use cannabis. These results suggest that cannabis use in adults is associated with alterations of subcortical WM network organization. The observed differences in WM organization may be due to the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the alteration of WM growth processes.
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 8
- Subcortical Local Functional Hyperconnectivity in Cannabis Dependence Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging November 23, 2017
- Altered brain structural and functional connectivity in cannabis users Scientific Reports April 10, 2023
- Individuals with cannabis use are associated with widespread morphological alterations in the subregions of the amygdala, hippocampus, and pallidum. Drug and Alcohol Dependence October 1, 2022
- Cannabis induced increase in striatal glutamate associated with loss of functional corticostriatal connectivity. European Neuropsychopharmacology December 1, 2019
- Aberrant structural-functional coupling in adult cannabis users. Human Brain Mapping January 2019
and 3 more in the library