Spatial working memory performance and fMRI activation interaction in abstinent adolescent marijuana users.
Claudia B Padula, Alecia D Schweinsburg, Susan F Tapert
Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors December 2007 DOI: 10.1037/0893-164x.21.4.478 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 34 |
| Population | Adolescents aged 16-18 years, including marijuana users and controls |
| Duration | 28 days of monitored abstinence |
| Measures | spatial working memory task, functional magnetic resonance imaging |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Adolescent marijuana users show Performance x Brain Response interactions in bilateral temporal lobes, left anterior cingulate, left parahippocampal gyrus, and right thalamus after 28 days of abstinence, despite no group differences in behavioral task performance. The authors suggest this indicates altered neural pathways for task performance. |
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested neural disruption and reorganization in adult marijuana users. However, it remains unclear whether these effects persist in adolescents after 28 days of abstinence and, if they do, what Performance x Brain Response interactions occur. Adolescent marijuana users (n=17) and controls (n=17) aged 16-18 years were recruited from local schools. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected after 28 days' monitored abstinence as participants performed a spatial working memory task. Marijuana users show Performance x Brain Response interactions in the bilateral temporal lobes, left anterior cingulate, left parahippocampal gyrus, and right thalamus (clusters >/=1358 microl; p<.05), although groups do not differ on behavioral measures of task performance. Marijuana users show differences in brain response to a spatial working memory task despite adequate performance, suggesting a different approach to the task via altered neural pathways.