Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Giuseppe Delvecchio, Lucio Oldani, Gian Mario Mandolini, Alessandro Pigoni, Valentina Ciappolino, Giandomenico Schiena, Matteo Lazzaretti, Elisabetta Caletti, Viviana Barbieri, Claudia Maria Cinnante, Fabio Maria Triulzi, Paolo Brambilla
Journal of Visualized Experiments August 18, 2020 DOI: 10.3791/60881 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Chronic cannabis users: 10 with cannabis-induced psychosis and 12 without psychosis and without psychiatric conditions |
| Measures | Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), BPRS-Activity |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Chronic cannabis users with cannabis-induced psychosis showed extensive grey matter decreases in right superior frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, bilateral insula, right precuneus, right medial occipital gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, and left hippocampus compared with non-psychotic cannabis users. In the psychosis group, BPRS-Activity scores were negatively correlated with selective grey matter volumes. The authors suggest these reductions may serve as potential biomarkers for psychosis risk in cannabis users. |
Abstract
Cannabis is the illicit drug most commonly used worldwide, and its consumption can both induce psychiatric symptoms in otherwise healthy subjects and unmask a florid psychotic picture in patients with a prior psychotic risk. Previous studies suggest that chronic and long-term cannabis exposure may exert significant negative effects in brain areas enriched with cannabinoid receptors. However, whether brain alterations determined by cannabis dependency will lead to a clinically significant phenotype or to a psychotic outbreak at some point of an abuser's life remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate morphological brain differences between chronic cannabis users with cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP) and non-psychotic cannabis users (NPCU) without any psychiatric conditions and correlate brain deficits with selective socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial variables. 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 10 CIP patients and 12 NPCU were acquired. The type of drug, the frequency, and the duration, as well socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial parameters of dependency were measured. CIP patients had extensive grey matter (GM) decreases in right superior frontal gyrus, right precentral, right superior temporal gyrus, insula bilaterally, right precuneus, right medial occipital gyrus, right fusiform gyrus, and left hippocampus in comparison to chronic cannabis users without psychosis. Finally, in CIP patients, the results showed a negative correlation between a domain of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), BPRS-Activity, and selective GM volumes. Overall, the results suggest that cannabis-induced psychosis is characterized by selective brain reductions that are not present in NPCU. Therefore, neuroimaging studies may provide a potential ground for identifying putative biomarkers associated with the risk of developing psychosis in cannabis users.
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
Cites 5
- Grey Matter Volume Differences Associated with Extremely Low Levels of Cannabis Use in Adolescence Journal of Neuroscience January 14, 2019
- Pathways from Cannabis to Psychosis: A Review of the Evidence Frontiers in Psychiatry 2013
- Association Between Cannabis and Psychosis: Epidemiologic Evidence. Biological Psychiatry April 1, 2016
- Altered cortical maturation in adolescent cannabis users with and without schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research March 2015
- Long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 25, 2014