Longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure after heavy cannabis use.
Mary P. Becker, Paul F Collins, Kelvin O Lim, R L Muetzel, M Luciana
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience December 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.10.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal observational study Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 46 |
| Population | Young adults aged 18-20 at baseline: 23 regular cannabis users with onset before age 17 and 23 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched non-using controls with limited substance use histories |
| Duration | 2-year follow-up |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Dti Longitudinal White matter Young adult |
| Key findings | Cannabis users showed reduced longitudinal growth in fractional anisotropy in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, corticospinal tract, and anterior thalamic radiation, and less reduction in radial diffusion in some tracts, compared with controls. Greater cannabis use correlated with reduced fractional anisotropy growth and with poorer verbal learning. The authors suggest that continued heavy cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood alters white matter development and contributes to functional impairment. |
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of cannabis users report alterations in brain white matter microstructure, primarily based on cross-sectional research, and etiology of the alterations remains unclear. We report findings from longitudinal voxelwise analyses of DTI data collected at baseline and at a 2-year follow-up on 23 young adult (18-20 years old at baseline) regular cannabis users and 23 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched non-using controls with limited substance use histories. Onset of cannabis use was prior to age 17. Cannabis users displayed reduced longitudinal growth in fractional anisotropy in the central and parietal regions of the right and left superior longitudinal fasciculus, in white matter adjacent to the left superior frontal gyrus, in the left corticospinal tract, and in the right anterior thalamic radiation lateral to the genu of the corpus callosum, along with less longitudinal reduction of radial diffusion in the right central/posterior superior longitudinal fasciculus, corticospinal tract, and posterior cingulum. Greater amounts of cannabis use were correlated with reduced longitudinal growth in FA as was relatively impaired performance on a measure of verbal learning. These findings suggest that continued heavy cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood alters ongoing development of white matter microstructure, contributing to functional impairment.
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 11
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Verbal Memory Performance and Reduced Cortical Thickness of Brain Regions Along the Uncinate Fasciculus in Young Adult Cannabis Users Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research March 29, 2018
- Sex Differences in Response-Contingent Cannabis Vapor Administration During Adolescence Mediate Enduring Effects on Behavioral Flexibility and Prefrontal Microglia Activation in Rats Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research January 8, 2024
- Sex differences in adolescent cannabis vapor self-administration mediate enduring effects on behavioral flexibility and prefrontal microglia activation in rats. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology January 22, 2023
- White Matter Microstructure and Gray Matter Volume in Cannabis-Induced Psychosis and Schizophrenia With Cannabis Use. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences July 25, 2022
and 6 more in the library
Cites 20
- Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning The British Journal of Psychiatry May 31, 2011
- Susceptibility of the adolescent brain to cannabinoids: long-term hippocampal effects and relevance to schizophrenia Translational Psychiatry November 27, 2012
- Neurocognitive impairments in MDMA and other drug users: MDMA alone may not be a cognitive risk factor Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology September 30, 2009
- The impact of initiation: Early onset marijuana smokers demonstrate altered Stroop performance and brain activation. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience December 2015
- Long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 25, 2014
and 15 more in the library