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Impact of prenatal cannabis exposure on functional connectivity of the salience network in children

Mohammed M Faraj, J. Evanski, Clara G. Zundel, C. Peters, S. Brummelte, L. Lundahl, Hilary A Marusak

Journal of Neuroscience Research October 13, 2022 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25136 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 10,719
Population Children aged about 9-10 years in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, with and without parent-reported prenatal cannabis exposure
Topics Cannabis
Key findings Prenatal cannabis exposure before knowledge of pregnancy was associated with lower resting-state connectivity between the salience network and the ventral attention network. Psychotic-like experiences and this connectivity each mediated the other's link with exposure, but the mediation effects were no longer significant after covariates were included. The authors suggest altered salience-ventral attention interactions may explain the reported association between prenatal cannabis exposure and elevated child psychopathology risk.

Abstract

Cannabis use among pregnant people has increased over the past decade. This is of concern as prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) is associated with cognitive, motor, and social deficits among offspring. Here, we examined resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the salience network (SN)—a core neurocognitive network that integrates emotional and sensory information—in children with (vs. without) PCE. Using neuroimaging and developmental history data collected from 10,719 children (M ± SD = 9.92 ± 0.62 years; 47.9% female) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, we assessed the impact of parent‐reported PCE (before or after knowledge of pregnancy) on rsFC within and between the SN and five other core neurocognitive networks. We also evaluated whether SN rsFC mediated the association between PCE and child psychopathology. Results showed that PCE before (but not after) knowledge of pregnancy was associated with lower SN‐ventral attention network (VAN) rsFC. Furthermore, psychotic‐like experiences mediated the association between PCE and SN‐VAN rsFC, and reversal of the model was also significant, such that SN‐VAN rsFC mediated the association between PCE and psychotic‐like symptoms. However, these mediation effects were no longer significant after the inclusion of covariates. Taken together, these findings suggest that developmental alterations in SN‐VAN interactions may explain the previously reported association between PCE and elevated risk of child psychopathology.

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

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