White matter fractional anisotropy over two time points in early onset schizophrenia and adolescent cannabis use disorder: A naturalistic diffusion tensor imaging study.
Katherine A Epstein, Sanjiv Kumra
Psychiatry Research April 30, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.10.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot longitudinal observational study Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 82 |
| Population | Non-psychotic treatment-seeking adolescents with cannabis use disorder, adolescents with early onset schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, and healthy control adolescents |
| Duration | 18-month follow-up |
| Measures | fractional anisotropy (FA) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Adolescent Fractional anisotropy fa |
| Key findings | Adolescents with cannabis use disorder showed an altered change in fractional anisotropy in the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and, at trend level, the left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus compared with healthy controls. Greater cannabis consumption during the inter-scan interval predicted a greater decrease in left ILF fractional anisotropy. The authors suggest heavy adolescent cannabis use, or some associated factor, is linked to altered white matter development in a tract implicated in early onset schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. |
Abstract
Recurrent exposure to cannabis in adolescence increases the risk for later development of psychosis, but there are sparse data regarding the impact of cannabis use on brain structure during adolescence. This pilot study investigated the effect of cannabis use disorder (CUD) upon white matter fractional anisotropy (WM FA) values in non-psychotic treatment-seeking adolescents relative to adolescents with early onset schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (EOSS) and to healthy control (HC) participants. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography methods were used to examine fractional anisotropy (FA) of the cingulum bundle, superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), corticospinal tract (CST), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and uncinate fasciculus in adolescents with EOSS (n=34), CUD (n=19) and HC (n=29). Participants received DTI and substance use assessments at baseline and at 18-month follow-up. Using multivariate analysis of variance, a significant main effect of diagnostic group was observed. Post-hoc testing revealed that adolescents with CUD showed an altered change in FA values in the left ILF and in the left IFOF (trend level) compared with HC adolescents. Greater consumption of cannabis during the inter-scan interval predicted a greater decrease in left ILF FA in CUD. These preliminary longitudinal data suggest that heavy cannabis use during adolescence, or some factor associated with cannabis use, is associated with an altered change in WM FA values in a fiber bundle that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of EOSS (i.e., the left ILF). Additional studies are needed to clarify the clinical significance of these findings.
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 6
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males Translational Psychiatry November 29, 2016
- Sex-specific vulnerabilities in cannabis-induced psychosis: A scoping review. Asian Journal of Psychiatry July 8, 2026
- Systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of cannabis use in adolescence and emerging adulthood: evidence from 90 studies and 9441 participants. Neuropsychopharmacology April 2022
- Marijuana Matters: Reviewing the Impact of Marijuana on Cognition, Brain Structure and Function, & Exploring Policy Implications and Barriers to Research International Review of Psychiatry May 4, 2018
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