Nucleus accumbens functional connectivity at age 20 is associated with trajectory of adolescent cannabis use and predicts psychosocial functioning in young adulthood.
Sarah D Lichenstein, Samuel Musselman, Daniel S Shaw, Stephanie Sitnick, Erika E Forbes
Addiction November 2017 DOI: 10.1111/add.13882 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 158 |
| Population | Male youth at high risk for psychopathology based on family income and gender, recruited from the Women, Infants and Children Nutritional Supplement program in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area |
| Duration | Cannabis use trajectories assessed from age 14 to 19; functional connectivity and substance use data at age 20; psychosocial functioning at age 22 |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Adolescence Brain development Functional connectivity Psychosocial functioning Young adulthood |
| Key findings | Three distinct adolescent cannabis use trajectories were identified: stable high, escalating, and stable low. Cannabis use trajectory had a significant effect on nucleus accumbens functional connectivity to the medial prefrontal cortex. The escalating trajectory group displayed negative NAcc-mPFC connectivity linked to higher depressive symptoms, anhedonia, and lower educational attainment at age 22. |
Abstract
(1) To identify trajectories of cannabis use across adolescence, (2) to measure the influence of cannabis use characteristics on functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and (3) to assess whether patterns of functional connectivity related to cannabis use are associated with psychosocial functioning 2 years later. The Pitt Mother and Child Project (PMCP) is a prospective, longitudinal study of male youth at high risk for psychopathology based on family income and gender. Participants were recruited between age 6 and 17 months from the Women, Infants and Children Nutritional Supplement program (WIC) in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. A total of 158 PMCP young men contributed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and substance use data at age 20 years. Latent class growth analysis was used to determine trajectories of cannabis use frequency from age 14 to 19 years. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis was used to measure functional connectivity between the NAcc and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Adolescent cannabis use trajectory, recent frequency of use and age of initiation were considered as developmental factors. We also tested whether functional connectivity was associated with depressive symptoms, anhedonia and educational attainment at age 22. We identified three distinct trajectories of adolescent cannabis use, characterized by stable high, escalating or stable low use. The cannabis use trajectory group had a significant effect on NAcc functional connectivity to the medial PFC (F = 11.32, Z = 4.04, Pfamily-wise error-corrected (FWE-corr) = 0.000). The escalating trajectory group displayed a pattern of negative NAcc-mPFC connectivity that was linked to higher levels of depressive symptoms (r = -0.17, P < .05), anhedonia (r = -0.19, P < .05) and lower educational attainment (t = -2.77, P < .01) at age 22. Pattern of cannabis use frequency across adolescence in US youth could have consequences for mood symptoms and educational attainment in early adulthood via altered function in neural reward circuitry.
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
- Functional brain connectomes reflect acute and chronic cannabis use Scientific Reports February 14, 2022
- Psychological and neuropsychological effects of adolescent cannabis use: a structured narrative review. Journal of Addictive Diseases September 30, 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
- Cannabis and the Developing Adolescent Brain Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry April 18, 2020
and 1 more in the library
Cites 6
- Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning The British Journal of Psychiatry May 31, 2011
- Cannabis and cocaine decrease cognitive impulse control and functional corticostriatal connectivity in drug users with low activity DBH genotypes Brain Imaging and Behavior December 14, 2015
- Functional connectivity alterations in brain networks relevant to self-awareness in chronic cannabis users. Journal of Psychiatric Research April 2014
- Altered resting-state connectivity in adolescent cannabis users. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse November 2013
- Longitudinal study of cognition among adolescent marijuana users over three weeks of abstinence. Addictive Behaviors November 2010
and 1 more in the library