Changes in brain structure and function following chronic exposure to inhaled vaporised cannabis during periadolescence in female and male mice: A multimodal MRI study.
James R Coleman, Dan Madularu, Richard J. Ortiz, Maria Athanassiou, Alexa Knudsen, Ilayda Alkislar, Xuezhu Cai, Praveen P Kulkarni, Bruce S Cushing, Craig F. Ferris
Addiction Biology May 2022 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13169 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Adolescent female and male mice |
| Interventions | Vaporised cannabis (10.3% Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] and 0.05% cannabidiol [CBD]) placebo |
| Dose | 10.3% Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] and 0.05% cannabidiol [CBD] |
| Duration | Postnatal day 23 to day 51 |
| Measures | voxel-based morphometry, diffusion weighted imaging, resting state functional connectivity, novel object preference test |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Cb1 Diffusion weighted imaging Endocannabinoid Hippocampus Voxel-based morphometry |
| Key findings | Chronic vaporised cannabis exposure in adolescent mice produced sexually dimorphic effects: females showed an inverse correlation between fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient in forebrain and hindbrain, while males showed increased functional coupling with the thalamus, hypothalamus and brainstem reticular activating system, altered hippocampal coupling, and deficits in object recognition. |
Abstract
Social norms and legality surrounding the use of medical and recreational cannabis are changing rapidly. The prevalence of cannabis use in adolescence is increasing. The aim of this study was to assess any sex-based neurobiological effects of chronically inhaled, vaporised cannabis on adolescent female and male mice. Female and male mice were exposed daily to vaporised cannabis (10.3% Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] and 0.05% cannabidiol [CBD]) or placebo from postnatal day 23 to day 51. Following cessation of treatment, mice were examined for changes in brain structure and function using noninvasive multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Data from voxel-based morphometry, diffusion weighted imaging and rest state functional connectivity were registered to and analysed with a 3D mouse atlas with 139 brain areas. Following imaging, mice were tested for their preference for a novel object. The effects were sexually dimorphic with females showing a unique distribution and inverse correlation between measures of fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient localised to the forebrain and hindbrain. In contrast males displayed significant increased functional coupling with the thalamus, hypothalamus and brainstem reticular activating system as compared with controls. Cannabis males also presented with altered hippocampal coupling and deficits in cognitive function. Chronic exposure to inhaled vaporised cannabis had significant effects on brain structure and function in early adulthood corroborating much of the literature. Females presented with changes in grey matter microarchitecture, while males showed altered functional connectivity in hippocampal circuitry and deficits in object recognition.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Dose-dependent LSD effects on cortical/thalamic and cerebellar activity: brain oxygen level-dependent fMRI study in awake rats. Brain Communications 2024
- Developmental changes in brain structure and function following exposure to oral LSD during adolescence. Scientific Reports August 11, 2024
- Dose-dependent changes in global brain activity and functional connectivity following exposure to psilocybin: a BOLD MRI study in awake rats Frontiers in Neuroscience May 1, 2025
- Sex-dependent developmental changes in behavior, brain structure, functional connectivity, and sensory perception following exposure to psilocybin during adolescence Neuropsychopharmacology February 18, 2026
- Cannabis Use and Endocannabinoid Receptor Genes: A Pilot Study on Their Interaction on Brain Activity in First-Episode Psychosis International Journal of Molecular Sciences April 19, 2023
and 6 more in the library
Cites 11
- Adolescent exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol alters the transcriptional trajectory and dendritic architecture of prefrontal pyramidal neurons. Molecular Psychiatry April 2019
- Adult Cellular Neuroadaptations Induced by Adolescent THC Exposure in Female Rats Are Rescued by Enhancing Anandamide Signaling. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology November 1, 2018
- Acute and long-term effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on object recognition and anxiety-like activity are age- and strain-dependent in mice. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior December 2017
- Sex and age specific effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol during the periadolescent period in the rat: The unique susceptibility of the prepubescent animal. Neurotoxicology and Teratology 2016
- Part II: Strain- and sex-specific effects of adolescent exposure to THC on adult brain and behaviour: Variants of learning, anxiety and volumetric estimates. Behavioural Brain Research July 15, 2015
and 6 more in the library