Brain glucose metabolism in chronic marijuana users at baseline and during marijuana intoxication.
N D Volkow, H Gillespie, N Mullani, L Tancredi, C Grant, A Valentine, L Hollister
Psychiatry Research May 31, 1996 DOI: 10.1016/0925-4927(96)02817-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational case-control study with PET imaging Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Eight normal subjects and eight chronic marijuana abusers |
| Intervention | Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Measures | Positron emission tomography (PET) measures of brain glucose metabolism, subjective sense of intoxication |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Chronic marijuana abusers showed lower relative cerebellar glucose metabolism than normal subjects at baseline. THC increased relative cerebellar metabolism in all subjects, but increased orbitofrontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, and basal ganglia metabolism only in abusers. Cerebellar metabolism during THC intoxication correlated significantly with the subjective sense of intoxication. |
Abstract
Despite the widespread abuse of marijuana, knowledge about its effects in the human brain is limited. Brain glucose metabolism with and without delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (main psychoactive component of marijuana) was evaluated in eight normal subjects and eight chronic marijuana abusers with positron emission tomography. At baseline, marijuana abusers showed lower relative cerebellar metabolism than normal subjects. THC increased relative cerebellar metabolism in all subjects, but only abusers showed increases in orbitofrontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, and basal ganglia. Cerebellar metabolism during THC intoxication was significantly correlated with the subjective sense of intoxication. The decreased cerebellar metabolism in marijuana abusers at baseline could account for the motor deficits previously reported in these subjects. The activation of orbitofrontal cortex and basal ganglia by THC in the abusers but not in the normal subjects could underlie one of the mechanisms leading to the drive and the compulsion to self-administer the drug observed in addicted individuals.
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
Cited by 39
- Antidepressant-like activity and modulation of brain monoaminergic transmission by blockade of anandamide hydrolysis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 13, 2005
- Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Archives of General Psychiatry 2009
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Neuroimaging in cannabis use: a systematic review of the literature Psychological Medicine July 23, 2009
- Differences in Inhibitory Control and Resting Brain Metabolism between Older Chronic Users of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or Cannabidiol (CBD)—A Pilot Study Brain Sciences June 23, 2022
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