Skip to content

The role of sex in the association between cannabis use disorder and resting-state functional connectivity.

Janna Cousijn, Yara J Toenders, Anne Marije Kaag, Francesca Filbey, Emese Kroon

Neuropsychopharmacology May 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-025-02078-3 (opens in new tab)

Read Full Text
Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational case-control study Peer reviewed
Sample size 266
Population 152 individuals with cannabis use disorder (76 males) and 114 matched controls (47 males)
Topics Cannabis
Key findings Cannabis use disorder was not associated with altered resting-state functional connectivity across the salience, basal ganglia, executive control, and default mode networks compared with controls. Within the CUD group, heavier cannabis use correlated with higher connectivity across all networks and earlier age of onset with higher connectivity in several networks, with similar patterns in males and females. CUD severity was related to higher anterior salience network connectivity only in males.

Abstract

While Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is twice as prevalent in males, females transition more quickly from heavy use to CUD and experience more severe withdrawal. These clinically relevant sex differences contrast the lack of knowledge about the underlying brain mechanisms. This study investigated the relationship between CUD and resting-state functional brain connectivity (RSFC), assessing potential sex differences herein. RSFC of the Salience Network (SN), Basal Ganglia Network (BGN), Executive Control Network (ECN), and Default Mode Network (DMN) was compared between 152 individuals (76 males) with CUD and 114 matched controls (47 males). Within the CUD group, relationships between RSFC and heaviness of cannabis use, age of onset, and CUD symptom severity, along with their associations with sex, were investigated. CUD and control groups showed similar RSFC across all networks, regardless of sex. In the CUD group, heavier cannabis use correlated with higher RSFC across all networks and earlier age of onset was related to higher RSFC in the anterior SN, BGN, left ECN, and dorsal DMN. These associations were similar for males and females. CUD severity was related to higher RSFC in the anterior SN, which was moderated by sex, with a positive association seen only in males. In conclusion, CUD may not necessarily be associated with altered RSFC. Individual use characteristics such age of onset and severity of use may determine the potential impact of cannabis use on RSFC in a largely similar way in males and females.

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 1

Cites 10

and 5 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Cannabis Default mode network