Regular cannabis and alcohol use is associated with resting-state time course power spectra in incarcerated adolescents
Sandra Thijssen, B. Rashid, Shruti Gopal, Prashanth K. Nyalakanti, V. Calhoun, K. Kiehl
Drug and Alcohol Dependence July 8, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.05.045 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 180 |
| Population | Male juvenile delinquents from the Southwest Advanced Neuroimaging Cohort, Youth sample and a Wisconsin youth detention facility |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | No associations were found between cannabis or alcohol use duration and network spatial maps. Longer cannabis use was associated with decreased low-frequency power in the default mode network, executive control networks, and sensory networks, and with decreased functional network connectivity. Longer alcohol use was associated with decreased low-frequency power in the right frontoparietal, salience, dorsal attention, and sensory networks. |
Abstract
Cannabis and alcohol are believed to have widespread effects on the brain. Although adolescents are at increased risk for substance use, the adolescent brain may also be particularly vulnerable to the effects of drug exposure due to its rapid maturation. Here, we examined the association between cannabis and alcohol use duration and resting-state functional connectivity in a large sample of male juvenile delinquents. The present sample was drawn from the Southwest Advanced Neuroimaging Cohort, Youth sample, and from a youth detention facility in Wisconsin. All participants were scanned at the maximum-security facilities using The Mind Research Network’s 1.5T Avanto SQ Mobile MRI scanner. Information on cannabis and alcohol regular use duration was collected using self-report. Resting-state networks were computed using group independent component analysis in 201 participants. Associations with cannabis and alcohol use were assessed using Mancova analyses controlling for age, IQ, smoking and psychopathy scores in the complete case sample of 180 male juvenile delinquents. No associations between alcohol or cannabis use and network spatial maps were found. Longer cannabis use was associated with decreased low frequency power of the default mode network, the executive control networks (ECNs), and several sensory networks, and with decreased functional network connectivity. Duration of alcohol use was associated with decreased low frequency power of the right frontoparietal network, salience network, dorsal attention network, and several sensory networks. Our findings suggest that adolescent cannabis and alcohol use are associated with widespread differences in resting-state time course power spectra, which may persist even after abstinence.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning 104 chronic cannabis users (49 early-onset before age 15, 55 late-onset after age 15)... | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional study | n = 148 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 600 |
| Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... | 2012 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 337 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Cannabis-induced altered states of consciousness are associated with specific dynamic brain connectivity states Journal of Psychopharmacology June 3, 2019
- Associations between regular cannabis use and brain resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents and adults Journal of Psychopharmacology July 29, 2023
- Psychological and neuropsychological effects of adolescent cannabis use: a structured narrative review. Journal of Addictive Diseases September 30, 2026
- Chronic cannabis use is associated with alterations in resting-state cerebellar-cortical connectivity. Psychopharmacology December 12, 2025
and 3 more in the library
Cites 14
- Cannabis, cigarettes, and their co-occurring use: disentangling differences in default mode network functional connectivity Drug and Alcohol Dependence June 10, 2015
- Long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 25, 2014
- Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals distinct brain activity in heavy cannabis users - a multi-voxel pattern analysis. Journal of Psychopharmacology November 2014
- 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
and 9 more in the library