Altered frontal cortical volume and decision making in adolescent cannabis users.
John C Churchwell, Melissa P Lopez-Larson, Deborah A Yurgelun-Todd
Frontiers in Psychology 2010 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2010.00225 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 36 |
| Population | Adolescents aged 16-19 years: 18 cannabis-abusing adolescents (2 female, 16 male; mean age 17.7) and 18 healthy controls (6 female, 12 male; mean age 17.2) |
| Measures | Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with FreeSurfer cortical reconstruction and volumetric segmentation |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Adolescence Decision making Development Impulsivity Orbitofrontal Prefrontal |
| Key findings | Cannabis-abusing adolescents had decreased right medial orbital prefrontal cortex volume and lower future orientation (BIS non-planning) than controls. Total medial orbital prefrontal cortex volume was positively correlated with age of first cannabis use, which the authors suggest may indicate that alterations relate to cannabis initiation or that early initiation reduces volume. |
Abstract
Anticipating future outcomes is central to decision making and a failure to consider long-term consequences may lead to impulsive choices. Adolescence is a vulnerable period during which underdeveloped prefrontal cortical systems may contribute to poor judgment, impulsive choices, and substance abuse. Conversely, substance abuse during this period may alter neural systems involved in decision making and lead to greater impulsivity. Although a broad neural network which supports decision making undergoes extensive change during adolescent development, one region that may be critical is the medial prefrontal cortex. Altered functional integrity of this region may be specifically related to reward perception, substance abuse, and dependence. In the present investigation, we acquired structural magnetic resonance images (MRI), using a 3T Siemens Trio scanner, from 18 cannabis abusing adolescents (CA; 2 female and 16 male subjects; mean age, 17.7 years; range 16-19 years), and 18 healthy controls (HC; 6 female and 12 male subjects; mean age, 17.2 years; range 16-19 years). In order to measure medial orbital prefrontal cortex (moPFC) morphology related to substance abuse and impulsivity, semi-automated cortical reconstruction and volumetric segmentation of MRIs was performed with FreeSurfer. Impulsivity was evaluated with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Our results indicate that cannabis abusing adolescents have decreased right moPFC volume compared to controls, p = 0.01, d = 0.92, CI(0.95) = 0.21, 1.59. Cannabis abusing adolescents also show decreased future orientation, as indexed by the BIS non-planning subscale, when compared to controls, p = 0.01, d = 0.89, CI(0.95) = 0.23, 1.55. Moreover, total moPFC volume was positively correlated with age of first use r (18) = 0.49, p < 0.03, suggesting that alterations in this region may be related to initiation of cannabis use or that early initiation may lead to reduced moPFC volume.
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 19
- Long-term consequences of adolescent cannabinoid exposure in adult psychopathology Frontiers in Neuroscience November 10, 2014
- Effects of Cannabis on Impulsivity: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Findings Current Pharmaceutical Design May 10, 2014
- 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
- Impaired Ghrelin Signaling Does Not Lead to Alterations of Anxiety-like Behaviors in Adult Mice Chronically Exposed to THC during Adolescence Biomedicines January 6, 2023
- Associations Between Cannabis, Psychosis, and Schizophrenia in Adolescents Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research 2022
and 14 more in the library
Cites 4
- Dynamic changes of the endogenous cannabinoid and opioid mesocorticolimbic systems during adolescence: THC effects. European Neuropsychopharmacology November 2008
- Abstinent adolescent marijuana users show altered fMRI response during spatial working memory. Psychiatry Research May 30, 2008
- Adolescent cannabis exposure alters opiate intake and opioid limbic neuronal populations in adult rats. Neuropsychopharmacology March 2007
- Neural substrates of faulty decision-making in abstinent marijuana users. Neuroimage June 2005