N-acetylaspartate (NAA) correlates inversely with cannabis use in a frontal language processing region of neocortex in MDMA (Ecstasy) polydrug users: a 3 T magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
Ronald L Cowan, James M. Joers, Mary S Dietrich
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior March 2009 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2008.10.022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Recreational drug users, including Ecstasy polydrug users |
| Measures | 3 T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), NAA/Cr ratio, myoinositol |
| Topics | Cannabis MDMA |
| Key findings | In 17 recreational drug users, lifetime cannabis use was associated with lower NAA/Cr in Brodmann area 45 (r=-0.687), a region linked to verbal memory, while lifetime Ecstasy, alcohol, and cocaine use showed no significant associations with NAA. Myoinositol showed no effects. The authors suggest cannabis use may contribute to altered neuronal integrity in Ecstasy polydrug users. |
Abstract
Impaired verbal memory is common in MDMA (Ecstasy) polydrug users. The contributions of Ecstasy or polydrug exposure to reduced verbal memory are unclear, as is the neural basis for this cognitive deficit. Ecstasy users have reduced gray matter in brain regions mediating verbal memory (BA 18, 21 and 45). N-acetylaspartate (NAA) as a neuronal marker and myoinositol (mI) as a glial marker are inconsistently affected in Ecstasy users. We used 3 T MRS in 17 recreational drug users to test the hypothesis that Ecstasy polydrug use would be associated with altered NAA or mI in BA 18, 21 and 45. No effects were seen for mI. Metabolite ratios for NAA (mean+/-SD) were: BA 18-NAA/Cr (2.030+/-0.188); BA 21-NAA/Cr (1.861+/-0.325); BA 45-NAA/Cr (1.925+/-0.329). Lifetime cannabis use was significantly associated with BA 45 NAA/Cr (r=-0.687, p=0.014) but not with NAA in BA 18 or 21. In contrast, there were no statistically significant associations for lifetime use of Ecstasy, alcohol, or cocaine with NAA. These findings suggest that cannabis use may contribute to altered neuronal integrity in Ecstasy polydrug users in a brain region associated with verbal memory processing.
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
- Reduced responsiveness of the reward system is associated with tolerance to cannabis impairment in chronic users Addiction Biology December 22, 2019
- Telling true from false: cannabis users show increased susceptibility to false memories Molecular Psychiatry March 31, 2015
- Reduced responsiveness of the reward system underlies tolerance to cannabis impairment in chronic users bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 19, 2019
- What Do Thirty Years of Neuroimaging Research Tell Us About Recreational Cannabis Use and Brain Integrity? A Narrative Review of the Multimodal Neuroimaging Evidence to Date. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 24
- Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings The Lancet October 1, 1998
- Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users The British Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1999
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) neurotoxicity in rats: a reappraisal of past and present findings Psychopharmacology March 15, 2006
- A Voxel-Based PET Investigation of the Long-Term Effects of “Ecstasy” Consumption on Brain Serotonin Transporters American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 2004
- The confounding problem of polydrug use in recreational ecstasy/MDMA users: a brief overview Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
and 19 more in the library