Cannabis Use and Resting State Functional Connectivity in the Aging Brain
K. Watson, Angela D Bryan, R. Thayer, Jarrod M. Ellingson, Carillon J. Skrzynski, Kent E. Hutchison
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience February 10, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.804890 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Older adults (aged 65+) who were regular cannabis users or non-users, plus 25-35 year old non-users and 60-88 year old non-users |
| Intervention | Cannabis |
| Measures | resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Older adult cannabis users showed stronger resting-state functional connectivity between hippocampal and parahippocampal sources and anterior cerebellar targets than older non-users. A similar pattern of strengthened hippocampal-cerebellar connectivity was seen in younger (25-35) non-users compared with older (60-88) non-users. The authors suggest future studies should examine both potential risks and potential benefits of cannabinoids for cognition and brain health in older adults. |
Abstract
Several lines of evidence suggest that older adults (aged 65+) sharply increased their cannabis use over the last decade, highlighting a need to understand the effects of cannabis in this age group. Pre-clinical models suggest that cannabinoids affect the brain and cognition in an age-dependent fashion, having generally beneficial effects on older animals and deleterious effects on younger ones. However, there is little research on how cannabis affects the brains of older adults or how older adults differ from younger adults who use cannabis. Resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) measures provide sensitive metrics of age-related cognitive decline. Here we compared rsFC in older adults who are either regular users of cannabis or non-users. We found stronger connectivity between sources in the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, and targets in the anterior lobes of the cerebellum in older adult cannabis users relative to non-users. A similar pattern of strengthened connectivity between hippocampal and cerebellar structures was also present in 25–35 year old non-users in comparison to 60–88 year old non-users. These findings suggest that future studies should examine both the potential risks of cannabinoids, as well as a potential benefits, on cognition and brain health for older adults.
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 3
- Age-Related Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids on Brain and Behavior. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research April 2026
- What Do Thirty Years of Neuroimaging Research Tell Us About Recreational Cannabis Use and Brain Integrity? A Narrative Review of the Multimodal Neuroimaging Evidence to Date. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation 2026
- The Role of Cannabis and The Endocannabinoid System in Sleep Regulation and Cognition: A Review of Human and Animal Studies. Behavioral Sleep Medicine March 3, 2024
Cites 7
- The implications of late-life cannabis use on brain health: A mapping review and implications for future research. Ageing Research Reviews February 25, 2020
- The Grass Might Be Greener: Medical Marijuana Patients Exhibit Altered Brain Activity and Improved Executive Function after 3 Months of Treatment Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 25, 2014
- Functional connectivity alterations in brain networks relevant to self-awareness in chronic cannabis users. Journal of Psychiatric Research April 2014
- Medial temporal structures and memory functions in adolescents with heavy cannabis use Journal of Psychiatric Research February 5, 2011
and 2 more in the library