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Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex N-acetylaspartate/total creatine (NAA/tCr) loss in male recreational cannabis users.

Derik Hermann, Alexander Sartorius, Helga Welzel, Sigrid Walter, Gisela Skopp, Gabriele Ende, Karl Mann

Biological Psychiatry June 1, 2007 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.08.027 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case-control study Peer reviewed
Sample size 26
Population 13 male nontreatment-seeking recreational cannabis users and 13 male control subjects
Measures Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Trail Making Test, D2 test for attention, hair analysis for cannabinoids
Topics Cannabis
Key findings Cannabis users had a significantly lower NAA/tCr ratio in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex than controls, and NAA/tCr in the putamen/globus pallidum correlated positively with cannabidiol levels. The authors suggest this indicates diminished neuronal and axonal integrity associated with chronic recreational cannabis use, and note that similar DLPFC findings and neuropsychological deficits have been reported in schizophrenia.

Abstract

Cannabinoids present neurotoxic and neuroprotective properties in in vitro studies, inconsistent alterations in human neuroimaging studies, neuropsychological deficits, and an increased risk for psychotic episodes. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS), neuropsychological testing, and hair analysis for cannabinoids was performed in 13 male nontreatment-seeking recreational cannabis users and 13 male control subjects. A significantly diminished N-acetylaspartate/total creatine (NAA/tCr) ratio in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was observed in cannabis users (p = .0003). The NAA/tCr in the putamen/globus pallidum region correlated significantly with cannabidiol (R(2) = .66, p = .004). Results of the Wisconsin Card Sorting test, Trail making Test, and D2 test for attention were influenced by cannabinoids. Chronic recreational cannabis use is associated with an indication of diminished neuronal and axonal integrity in the DLPFC in this study. As chronic cannabis use is a risk factor for psychosis, these results are interesting because diminished NAA/tCr ratios in the DLPFC and neuropsychological deficits were also reported in schizophrenia. The strong positive correlation of NAA/tCr and cannabidiol in the putamen/globus pallidum is in line with neuroprotective properties of cannabidiol, which were also observed in in vitro model studies of Parkinson's disease.

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

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