An fMRI-Based Neural Signature of Decisions to Smoke Cannabis.
Gillinder Bedi, Martin A Lindquist, Margaret Haney
Neuropsychopharmacology May 12, 2015 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.135 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Functional MRI choice experiment with machine learning Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 21 |
| Population | Nontreatment-seeking daily cannabis smokers |
| Intervention | Active cannabis |
| Dose | 1-12 puffs, $0.25-$5 per puff |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Humans Oxygen Magnetic resonance imaging Brain mapping Analysis of variance Marijuana smoking Choice behavior Dose-response relationship, drug Image processing, computer-assisted Adolescent Middle aged Female Young adult Drug-seeking behavior |
| Key findings | Purchasing cannabis varied lawfully with dose and cost. A machine-learning classifier discriminated fMRI activation patterns for purchased versus declined cannabis offers with 100% accuracy at the individual level, with dorsal striatum, insula, posterior parietal regions, anterior and posterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributing reliably to the pattern. The authors argue these findings provide a basis for a brain-based characterization of drug-related decision making. |
Abstract
Drug dependence may be at its core a pathology of choice, defined by continued decisions to use drugs irrespective of negative consequences. Despite evidence of dysregulated decision making in addiction, little is known about the neural processes underlying the most clinically relevant decisions drug users make: decisions to use drugs. Here, we combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), machine learning, and human laboratory drug administration to investigate neural activation underlying decisions to smoke cannabis. Nontreatment-seeking daily cannabis smokers completed an fMRI choice task, making repeated decisions to purchase or decline 1-12 placebo or active cannabis 'puffs' ($0.25-$5/puff). One randomly selected decision was implemented. If the selected choice had been bought, the cost was deducted from study earnings and the purchased cannabis smoked in the laboratory; alternatively, the participant remained in the laboratory without cannabis. Machine learning with leave-one-subject-out cross-validation identified distributed neural activation patterns discriminating decisions to buy cannabis from declined offers. A total of 21 participants were included in behavioral analyses; 17 purchased cannabis and were thus included in fMRI analyses. Purchasing varied lawfully with dose and cost. The classifier discriminated with 100% accuracy between fMRI activation patterns for purchased vs declined cannabis at the level of the individual. Dorsal striatum, insula, posterior parietal regions, anterior and posterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex all contributed reliably to this neural signature of decisions to smoke cannabis. These findings provide the basis for a brain-based characterization of drug-related decision making in drug abuse, including effects of psychological and pharmacological interventions on these processes.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Cannabis' Psychomotor and Neurocognitive Effects in Occasional and Frequent Smokers Occasional (<2x/week) and frequent (≥4x/week) cannabis smokers | 2015 | Controlled within-subjects study | n = 25 |
| Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity Healthy volunteers experienced with cannabis but not regular users | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental design | n = 17 |
| Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects? Young cannabis users | 2018 | Observational study (naturalistic, within-subject counterbalanced design) | n = 410 |
| Cannabis Essential Oil: A Preliminary Study for the Evaluation of the Brain Effects Healthy volunteers | 2018 | Experimental study | n = 5 |
| Coming off cannabis: a cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging study in patients with multiple sclerosis Patients with multiple sclerosis who began using cannabis after disease onset, used it... | 2019 | Quasi-experimental study with odd-even allocation | n = 40 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Value signals guiding choices for cannabis versus non-drug rewards in people who use cannabis near-daily Psychopharmacology February 10, 2025
- Value Signals Guiding Choices for Cannabis Versus Non-Drug Rewards in Regular Cannabis Users March 15, 2023
- Combining noninvasive brain stimulation with behavioral pharmacology methods to study mechanisms of substance use disorder. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2023
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