Altered orbitofrontal activity and dorsal striatal connectivity during emotion processing in dependent marijuana users after 28 days of abstinence.
Kaeli Zimmermann, Shuxia Yao, Marcel Heinz, Feng Zhou, Wolfgang Dau, Markus Banger, Bernd Weber, René Hurlemann, Benjamin Becker
Psychopharmacology March 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4803-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control fMRI study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 37 |
| Population | 19 dependent marijuana users and 18 matched non-using controls |
| Duration | Abstinence period of > 28 days |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Abstinence Amygdala Emotion Orbitofrontal cortex Striatum Substance dependence FMRI |
| Key findings | Dependent marijuana users abstinent for more than 28 days showed increased medial orbitofrontal cortex activity and stronger mOFC-dorsal striatal and mOFC-amygdala coupling in response to negative emotional stimuli compared with controls, plus elevated mOFC-dorsal striatal connectivity at rest. Positive stimulus processing and subjective valence and arousal ratings were comparable between groups. The authors propose these alterations may reflect long-term neural adaptations to chronic marijuana use or predisposing risk factors for dependence. |
Abstract
Intact cognitive and emotional functioning is vital for the long-term success of addiction treatment strategies. Accumulating evidence suggests an association between chronic marijuana use and lasting alterations in cognitive brain function. Despite initial evidence for altered emotion processing in dependent marijuana users after short abstinence periods, adaptations in the domain of emotion processing after longer abstinence remain to be determined. Using task-based and resting state fMRI, the present study investigated emotion processing in 19 dependent marijuana users and 18 matched non-using controls after an abstinence period of > 28 days. Relative to the control subjects, negative emotional stimuli elicited increased medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) activity and stronger mOFC-dorsal striatal and mOFC-amygdala functional coupling in dependent marijuana users (p < 0.022, FWE-corrected). Furthermore, mOFC-dorsal striatal functional connectivity was increased at rest in marijuana users (p < 0.03, FWE-corrected). Yet, processing of positive stimuli and subjective ratings of valence and arousal were comparable in both groups. Together, the present findings provide the first evidence for persisting emotion processing alterations in dependent marijuana users. Alterations might reflect long-term neural adaptations as a consequence of chronic marijuana use or predisposing risk factors for the development of marijuana dependence.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Cannabis' Psychomotor and Neurocognitive Effects in Occasional and Frequent Smokers Occasional (<2x/week) and frequent (≥4x/week) cannabis smokers | 2015 | Controlled within-subjects study | n = 25 |
| Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity Healthy volunteers experienced with cannabis but not regular users | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental design | n = 17 |
| Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects? Young cannabis users | 2018 | Observational study (naturalistic, within-subject counterbalanced design) | n = 410 |
| Cannabis Essential Oil: A Preliminary Study for the Evaluation of the Brain Effects Healthy volunteers | 2018 | Experimental study | n = 5 |
| Coming off cannabis: a cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging study in patients with multiple sclerosis Patients with multiple sclerosis who began using cannabis after disease onset, used it... | 2019 | Quasi-experimental study with odd-even allocation | n = 40 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Shifted balance of dorsal versus ventral striatal communication with frontal reward and regulatory regions in cannabis‐dependent males Human Brain Mapping September 12, 2018
- Impaired cognitive performance under psychosocial stress in cannabis-dependent men is associated with attenuated precuneus activity Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience February 26, 2020
- Impaired cognitive performance under psycho-social stress in cannabis-dependent males is mediated by attenuated precuneus activity bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 29, 2018
- Chronic cannabis use is associated with alterations in resting-state cerebellar-cortical connectivity. Psychopharmacology December 12, 2025
and 8 more in the library
Cites 12
- Neuroimaging in cannabis use: a systematic review of the literature Psychological Medicine July 23, 2009
- Attenuated frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia in cannabis users Addiction Biology March 3, 2016
- Acute and Chronic Effects of Cannabinoids on Human Cognition-A Systematic Review. Biological Psychiatry April 1, 2016
- Abnormal medial prefrontal cortex activity in heavy cannabis users during conscious emotional evaluation. Psychopharmacology March 1, 2016
- Impairment of inhibitory control processing related to acute psychotomimetic effects of cannabis. European Neuropsychopharmacology January 2015
and 7 more in the library