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Fazio G, Olivo D, Wolf ND, Hirjak D, Schmitgen MM, Werler F, Witteman M, Kubera KM, Calhoun VD, Reith W, Wolf RC, Sambataro F. The risk of cannabis use disorder is mediated by altered brain connectivity: A chronnectome study. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13395. [PMID: 38709211 PMCID: PMC11072977 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The brain mechanisms underlying the risk of cannabis use disorder (CUD) are poorly understood. Several studies have reported changes in functional connectivity (FC) in CUD, although none have focused on the study of time-varying patterns of FC. To fill this important gap of knowledge, 39 individuals at risk for CUD and 55 controls, stratified by their score on a self-screening questionnaire for cannabis-related problems (CUDIT-R), underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Dynamic functional connectivity (dFNC) was estimated using independent component analysis, sliding-time window correlations, cluster states and meta-state indices of global dynamics and were compared among groups. At-risk individuals stayed longer in a cluster state with higher within and reduced between network dFNC for the subcortical, sensory-motor, visual, cognitive-control and default-mode networks, relative to controls. More globally, at-risk individuals had a greater number of meta-states and transitions between them and a longer state span and total distance between meta-states in the state space. Our findings suggest that the risk of CUD is associated with an increased dynamic fluidity and dynamic range of FC. This may result in altered stability and engagement of the brain networks, which can ultimately translate into altered cortical and subcortical function conveying CUD risk. Identifying these changes in brain function can pave the way for early pharmacological and neurostimulation treatment of CUD, as much as they could facilitate the stratification of high-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Fazio
- Department of Neuroscience, Padua Neuroscience CenterUniversity of PaduaPaduaItaly
| | - Daniele Olivo
- Department of Neuroscience, Padua Neuroscience CenterUniversity of PaduaPaduaItaly
| | - Nadine D. Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Dusan Hirjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Mike M. Schmitgen
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Florian Werler
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Miriam Witteman
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany
| | - Katharina M. Kubera
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Wolfgang Reith
- Department of NeuroradiologySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience, Padua Neuroscience CenterUniversity of PaduaPaduaItaly
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Burdinski D, Kodibagkar A, Potter K, Schuster R, Evins AE, Ghosh S, Gilman J. Impact of year-long cannabis use for medical symptoms on brain activation during cognitive processes. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.29.24306516. [PMID: 38746368 PMCID: PMC11092687 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.24306516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Importance Cannabis is increasingly being used to treat medical symptoms, but the effects of cannabis use on brain function in those using cannabis for these symptoms is not known. Objective To test whether brain activation during working memory, reward, and inhibitory control tasks, areas of cognition impacted by cannabis, showed increases following one year of cannabis use for medical symptoms. Design This observational cohort study took place from July 2017 to July 2020 and is reported on in 2024. Setting Participants were from the greater Boston area. Participants Participants were recruited as part of a clinical trial based on seeking medical cannabis cards for anxiety, depression, pain, or sleep disorders, and were between 18 and 65 years. Exclusion criteria were daily cannabis use and cannabis use disorder at baseline. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcomes were whole brain functional activation during tasks involving working memory, reward and inhibitory control at baseline and after one year of cannabis use. Results Imaging was collected in participants before and one year after obtaining medical cannabis cards; 57 at baseline (38 female [66.7%]; mean [SD] age, 38.0 [14.6] years) at baseline, and 54 at one-year (37 female [68.5%]; mean [SD] age, 38.7 [14.3] years). Imaging was also collected in 32 healthy control participants (22 female [68.8%]; mean [SD] age, 33.8 [11.8] years) at baseline. In all groups and at both time points, functional imaging revealed canonical activations of the probed cognitive processes. No statistically significant difference in brain activation between the two timepoints (baseline and one-year) in those with medical cannabis cards and no association of changes in cannabis use frequency with brain activation were found. Conclusions and Relevance Findings suggest that adults do not show significant neural effects in the areas of cognition of working memory, reward, and inhibitory control after one year of cannabis use for medical symptoms. The results warrant further studies that probe effects of cannabis at higher doses, with greater frequency, in younger age groups, and with larger, more diverse cohorts. Trial Registration NCT03224468, https://clinicaltrials.gov/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debbie Burdinski
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Alisha Kodibagkar
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA
- University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Kevin Potter
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Addiction Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Randi Schuster
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Addiction Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - A Eden Evins
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Addiction Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Satrajit Ghosh
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jodi Gilman
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Center for Addiction Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital
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Hinojosa CA, Sitar SI, Zhao JC, Barbosa JD, Hien DA, Welsh JW, Fani N, van Rooij SJ. Functional Domains of Substance Use and their Implications to Trauma: A Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2024; 8:24705470241258752. [PMID: 38846598 PMCID: PMC11155333 DOI: 10.1177/24705470241258752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant health problem, and trauma exposure is a known risk factor for the escalation of substance use. However, the shared neural mechanisms through which trauma is associated with substance use are still unknown. Therefore, we systematically review neuroimaging studies focusing on three domains that may contribute to the overlapping mechanisms of SUD and trauma-reward salience, negative emotionality, and inhibition. Using PRISMA guidelines, we identified 45 studies utilizing tasks measuring these domains in alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use groups. Greater reward, lesser regulation of inhibitory processes, and mixed findings of negative emotionality processes in individuals who use substances versus controls were found. Specifically, greater orbitofrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, striatum, amygdala, and hippocampal activation was found in response to reward-related tasks, and reduced activation was found in the inferior frontal gyrus and hippocampus in response to inhibition-related tasks. Importantly, no studies in trauma-exposed individuals met our review criteria. Future studies examining the role of trauma-related factors are needed, and more studies should explore inhibition- and negative-emotionality domains in individuals who use substances to uncover clinically significant alterations in these domains that place an individual at greater risk for developing a SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia A. Hinojosa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Siara I. Sitar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua C. Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua D. Barbosa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Denise A. Hien
- Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Justine W. Welsh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Negar Fani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sanne J.H. van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Jiang W, Cai L, Wang Z. Common hyper-entropy patterns identified in nicotine smoking, marijuana use, and alcohol use based on uni-drug dependence cohorts. Med Biol Eng Comput 2023; 61:3159-3166. [PMID: 37718388 PMCID: PMC10842973 DOI: 10.1007/s11517-023-02932-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Substance use disorders present similar behaviors and psychopathologies related to impaired decision making/inhibition control and information processing, suggesting common alterations in frontal and limbic brain areas. To test this hypothesis, we identified three uni-substance use cohorts with dependence to only one type of substance from the Human Connectome Project: marijuana dependence, nicotine dependence, and alcohol dependence. Fifty-nine marijuana uses, 34 nicotine smokers, 35 alcohol drinkers, and their age and sex-matched non-substance use controls were identified. We used brain entropy mapping to probe brain alterations in substance use disorders. Compared to non-substance use individuals, all three substance use disorder cohorts had increased brain entropy. Marijuana dependence and nicotine dependence showed overlapped hyper-brain entropy in bilateral dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and right insula. Hyper-brain entropy in marijuana dependence and alcohol dependence overlap in left insula, left doso-lateral prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate. Hyper-brain entropy in nicotine dependence and alcohol dependence overlap only in left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex. Hyper-brain entropy in those areas was correlated with increased impulsivity or reduced inhibition control in substance use disorder but not in controls. Drug dependence is associated with hyper-brain entropy in the prefrontal cortex and the meso-limbic system, independent of a specific addictive drug. Brain entropy in this circuit provides a sensitive marker to detect brain and behavioral alterations in substance user disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Jiang
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Jiangbin Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Luhui Cai
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Jiangbin Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
| | - Ze Wang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 670 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD, 20201, USA.
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Sahlem GL, Dowdle LT, Baker NL, Sherman BJ, Gray KM, McRae-Clark AL, Froeliger B, Squeglia LM. Exploring the Utility of a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Cannabis Cue-Reactivity Paradigm in Treatment Seeking Adults with Cannabis Use Disorder. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.14.23298485. [PMID: 38014250 PMCID: PMC10680897 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.23298485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies examining cue-reactivity in cannabis use disorder (CUD) to date have either involved non-treatment seeking participants or been small. We addressed this gap by administering an fMRI cue-reactivity task to CUD participants entering two separate clinical trials. Methods Treatment-seeking participants with moderate or severe CUD had behavioral craving measured at baseline via the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ-SF). They additionally completed a visual cannabis cue-reactivity paradigm during fMRI following 24-hours of abstinence from cannabis. During fMRI, the Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) signal was acquired while participants viewed cannabis-images or matched-neutral-images. BOLD responses were correlated with the MCQ-SF using a General Linear Model. Results N=65 participants (32% female; mean age 30.4±9.9SD) averaged 46.3±15.5SD on the MCQ-SF. When contrasting cannabis-images vs. matched-neutral-images, participants showed greater BOLD response in bilateral ventromedial prefrontal, dorsolateral prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and visual cortices, as well as the striatum. Similarly, there was stronger task-based functional-connectivity (tbFC) between the medial prefrontal cortex and both the amygdala and the visual cortex. There were no significant differences in either activation or tbFC between studies or between sexes. Craving negatively correlated with BOLD response in the left ventral striatum (R 2 =-0.25; p =0.01). Conclusions We found that, among two separate treatment-seeking CUD groups, cannabis cue-reactivity was evidenced by greater activation and tbFC in regions related to executive function and reward processing, and craving was negatively associated with cue-reactivity in the ventral striatum. Future directions include examining if pharmacological, neuromodulatory, or psychosocial interventions can alter corticostriatal cue-reactivity.
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Orihuel J, Capellán R, Casquero-Veiga M, Soto-Montenegro ML, Desco M, Oteo-Vives M, Ibáñez-Moragues M, Magro-Calvo N, Luján VM, Morcillo MÁ, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. The long-term effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on brain structure and function assessed through neuroimaging techniques in male and female rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 74:47-63. [PMID: 37276836 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Several studies performed on human subjects have examined the effects of adolescent cannabis consumption on brain structure or function using brain imaging techniques. However, the evidence from these studies is usually heterogenous and affected by several confounding variables. Animal models of adolescent cannabinoid exposure may help to overcome these difficulties. In this exploratory study, we aim to increase our understanding of the protracted effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in rats of both sexes using magnetic resonance (MR) to obtain volumetric data, assess grey and white matter microstructure with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and measure brain metabolites with 1H-MR spectroscopy (MRS); in addition, we studied brain function using positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose as the tracer. THC-exposed rats exhibited volumetric and microstructural alterations in the striatum, globus pallidus, lateral ventricles, thalamus, and septal nuclei in a sex-specific manner. THC administration also reduced fractional anisotropy in several white matter tracts, prominently in rostral sections, while in vivo MRS identified lower levels of cortical choline compounds. THC-treated males had increased metabolism in the cerebellum and olfactory bulb and decreased metabolism in the cingulate cortex. By contrast, THC-treated females showed hypermetabolism in a cluster of voxels comprising the entorhinal piriform cortices and in the cingulate cortex. These results indicate that mild THC exposure during adolescence leaves a lingering mark on brain structure and function in a sex-dependant manner. Some of the changes found here resemble those observed in human studies and highlight the importance of studying sex-specific effects in cannabinoid research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Casquero-Veiga
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Luisa Soto-Montenegro
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Grupo de Fisiopatología y Farmacología del Sistema Digestivo de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (NEUGUT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Oteo-Vives
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Ibáñez-Moragues
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Magro-Calvo
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor M Luján
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Morcillo
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain.
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van Ruitenbeek P, Franzen L, Mason NL, Stiers P, Ramaekers JG. Methylphenidate as a treatment option for substance use disorder: a transdiagnostic perspective. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1208120. [PMID: 37599874 PMCID: PMC10435872 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1208120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A transition in viewing mental disorders from conditions defined as a set of unique characteristics to one of the quantitative variations on a collection of dimensions allows overlap between disorders. The overlap can be utilized to extend to treatment approaches. Here, we consider the overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorder to probe the suitability to use methylphenidate as a treatment for substance use disorder. Both disorders are characterized by maladaptive goal-directed behavior, impaired cognitive control, hyperactive phasic dopaminergic neurotransmission in the striatum, prefrontal hypoactivation, and reduced frontal cortex gray matter volume/density. In addition, methylphenidate has been shown to improve cognitive control and normalize associated brain activation in substance use disorder patients and clinical trials have found methylphenidate to improve clinical outcomes. Despite the theoretical basis and promising, but preliminary, outcomes, many questions remain unanswered. Most prominent is whether all patients who are addicted to different substances may equally profit from methylphenidate treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter van Ruitenbeek
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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8
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Lorenzetti V, McTavish E, Broyd S, van Hell H, Thomson D, Ganella E, Kottaram AR, Beale C, Martin J, Galettis P, Solowij N, Greenwood LM. Daily Cannabidiol Administration for 10 Weeks Modulates Hippocampal and Amygdalar Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Cannabis Users: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Open-Label Clinical Trial. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2023. [PMID: 37603080 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cannabis use is associated with brain functional changes in regions implicated in prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabidiol (CBD) is neuroprotective and may reverse structural brain changes associated with prolonged heavy cannabis use. In this study, we examine how an ∼10-week exposure of CBD in cannabis users affected resting-state functional connectivity in brain regions functionally altered by cannabis use. Materials and Methods: Eighteen people who use cannabis took part in a ∼10 weeks open-label pragmatic trial of self-administered daily 200 mg CBD in capsules. They were not required to change their cannabis exposure patterns. Participants were assessed at baseline and post-CBD exposure with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a functional MRI resting-state task (eyes closed). Seed-based connectivity analyses were run to examine changes in the functional connectivity of a priori regions-the hippocampus and the amygdala. We explored if connectivity changes were associated with cannabinoid exposure (i.e., cumulative cannabis dosage over trial, and plasma CBD concentrations and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) plasma metabolites postexposure), and mental health (i.e., severity of anxiety, depression, and positive psychotic symptom scores), accounting for cigarette exposure in the past month, alcohol standard drinks in the past month and cumulative CBD dose during the trial. Results: Functional connectivity significantly decreased pre-to-post the CBD trial between the anterior hippocampus and precentral gyrus, with a strong effect size (d=1.73). Functional connectivity increased between the amygdala and the lingual gyrus pre-to-post the CBD trial, with a strong effect size (d=1.19). There were no correlations with cannabinoids or mental health symptom scores. Discussion: Prolonged CBD exposure may restore/reduce functional connectivity differences reported in cannabis users. These new findings warrant replication in a larger sample, using robust methodologies-double-blind and placebo-controlled-and in the most vulnerable people who use cannabis, including those with more severe forms of Cannabis Use Disorder and experiencing worse mental health outcomes (e.g., psychosis, depression).
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Center, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eugene McTavish
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Center, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samantha Broyd
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hendrika van Hell
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Diny Thomson
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Australia
| | - Eleni Ganella
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
- Orygen, the National Center of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Akhil Raja Kottaram
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Center, School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Center, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia
| | - Camilla Beale
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jennifer Martin
- John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
- Center for Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research, University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Galettis
- Center for Drug Repurposing and Medicines Research, University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lisa-Marie Greenwood
- The Australian Center for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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9
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Sherman BJ, Brasher ZE, Baker NL, McRae-Clark AL, Froeliger BE. Restructuring reward: A pilot study to enhance natural reward response in adults with cannabis use disorder. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 249:110830. [PMID: 37329729 PMCID: PMC10398752 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hedonic dysregulation is a core mechanism of addiction. There is a dearth of research on hedonic dysregulation in cannabis use disorder (CUD). The current study tested whether personalized scripted imagery may be an efficacious approach to remediate reward functioning in adults with CUD. METHODS Adults with CUD (n=10) and non-CUD controls (n=12) completed a single session personalized scripted imagery procedure. Non-drug (i.e. natural) reward and neutral scripts were transcribed and participants listened to the scripts in counterbalanced order. Primary outcomes included positive affect (PA), galvanic skin response (GSR), and cortisol and were assessed at four timepoints. Mixed effects models were used to compare between and within subject effects. RESULTS Mixed effects models revealed a Condition (reward vs. neutral) X Group (CUD vs. control) interaction (p=0.01) on PA response, indicating blunted PA response to the neutral script relative to the reward script in CUD participants. Likewise, GSR response in CUD participants was decreased in response to the neutral script relative to the reward script (p=0.034; interaction n.s.). An interaction effect of Group X PA on cortisol response was found (p=.036) indicating that cortisol was positively correlated with PA in healthy control participants, but not CUD participants. CONCLUSIONS Adults with CUD may demonstrate acute deficits in hedonic tone under neutral conditions relative to healthy controls. Personalized scripted imagery may be an efficacious tool to remediate hedonic dysregulation in CUD. Cortisol may play a role in healthy positive affect regulation warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Sherman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, United States.
| | - Zoe E Brasher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Nathaniel L Baker
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, United States
| | - Aimee L McRae-Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, United States; Ralph H. Johnson, VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Brett E Froeliger
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, United States
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Kulkarni KR, Schafer M, Berner LA, Fiore VG, Heflin M, Hutchison K, Calhoun V, Filbey F, Pandey G, Schiller D, Gu X. An Interpretable and Predictive Connectivity-Based Neural Signature for Chronic Cannabis Use. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:320-330. [PMID: 35659965 PMCID: PMC9708942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis is one of the most widely used substances in the world, with usage trending upward in recent years. However, although the psychiatric burden associated with maladaptive cannabis use has been well established, reliable and interpretable biomarkers associated with chronic use remain elusive. In this study, we combine large-scale functional magnetic resonance imaging with machine learning and network analysis and develop an interpretable decoding model that offers both accurate prediction and novel insights into chronic cannabis use. METHODS Chronic cannabis users (n = 166) and nonusing healthy control subjects (n = 124) completed a cue-elicited craving task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Linear machine learning methods were used to classify individuals into chronic users and nonusers based on whole-brain functional connectivity. Network analysis was used to identify the most predictive regions and communities. RESULTS We obtained high (∼80% out-of-sample) accuracy across 4 different classification models, demonstrating that task-evoked connectivity can successfully differentiate chronic cannabis users from nonusers. We also identified key predictive regions implicating motor, sensory, attention, and craving-related areas, as well as a core set of brain networks that contributed to successful classification. The most predictive networks also strongly correlated with cannabis craving within the chronic user group. CONCLUSIONS This novel approach produced a neural signature of chronic cannabis use that is both accurate in terms of out-of-sample prediction and interpretable in terms of predictive networks and their relation to cannabis craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaustubh R Kulkarni
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Matthew Schafer
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Laura A Berner
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Vincenzo G Fiore
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Matt Heflin
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Kent Hutchison
- Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Vince Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Francesca Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Gaurav Pandey
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Daniela Schiller
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Xiaosi Gu
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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11
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Bogdan R, Hatoum AS, Johnson EC, Agrawal A. The Genetically Informed Neurobiology of Addiction (GINA) model. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:40-57. [PMID: 36446900 PMCID: PMC10041646 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00656-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Addictions are heritable and unfold dynamically across the lifespan. One prominent neurobiological theory proposes that substance-induced changes in neural circuitry promote the progression of addiction. Genome-wide association studies have begun to characterize the polygenic architecture undergirding addiction liability and revealed that genetic loci associated with risk can be divided into those associated with a general broad-spectrum liability to addiction and those associated with drug-specific addiction risk. In this Perspective, we integrate these genomic findings with our current understanding of the neurobiology of addiction to propose a new Genetically Informed Neurobiology of Addiction (GINA) model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Bogdan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Alexander S Hatoum
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Emma C Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Arpana Agrawal
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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Mech D, Korgol K, Kurowska A, Adamski B, Miazga M, Biala G, Kruk-Slomka M. Promising Advances in Pharmacotherapy for Patients with Spinal Cord Injury-A Review of Studies Performed In Vivo with Modern Drugs. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11226685. [PMID: 36431161 PMCID: PMC9698573 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11226685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a pathological neurological condition that leads to significant motor dysfunction. It is a condition that occurs as a result of tragic accidents, violent acts, or as a consequence of chronic diseases or degenerative changes. The current treatments for patients with SCI have moderate efficacy. They improve the quality of life of patients, but they are still doomed to long-term disability. In response to the modern directions of research on possible therapeutic methods that allow for the recovery of patients with SCI, a scientific review publication is needed to summarize the recent developments in this topic. The following review is focused on the available pharmacological treatments for SCIs and the problems that patients face depending on the location of the injury. In the following review, the research team describes problems related to spasticity and neuropathic pain; possible therapeutic pathways are also described for neuroprotection and the improvement of neurotransmission within the injured spinal cord, and the review focuses on issues related to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Mech
- Student Clubs and Organizations, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Korgol
- Student Clubs and Organizations, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1 Street, 20-400 Lublin, Poland
| | - Antonina Kurowska
- Student Clubs and Organizations, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Bartlomiej Adamski
- Student Clubs and Organizations, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Miazga
- Student Clubs and Organizations, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1 Street, 20-400 Lublin, Poland
| | - Grazyna Biala
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marta Kruk-Slomka
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 4a Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-8-1448-7258; Fax: +48-8-1448-7252
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13
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Skumlien M, Mokrysz C, Freeman TP, Wall MB, Bloomfield M, Lees R, Borissova A, Petrilli K, Carson J, Coughlan T, Ofori S, Langley C, Sahakian BJ, Curran HV, Lawn W. Neural responses to reward anticipation and feedback in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1976-1983. [PMID: 35388175 PMCID: PMC9485226 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01316-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chronic use of drugs may alter the brain's reward system, though the extant literature concerning long-term cannabis use and neural correlates of reward processing has shown mixed results. Adolescents may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of cannabis than adults; however, this has not been investigated for reward processing. As part of the 'CannTeen' study, in the largest functional magnetic resonance imaging study of reward processing and cannabis use to date, we investigated reward anticipation and feedback in 125 adult (26-29 years) and adolescent (16-17 years) cannabis users (1-7 days/week cannabis use) and gender- and age-matched controls, using the Monetary Incentive Delay task. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent responses were examined using region of interest (ROI) analyses in the bilateral ventral striatum for reward anticipation and right ventral striatum and left ventromedial prefrontal cortex for feedback, and exploratory whole-brain analyses. Results showed no User-Group or User-Group × Age-Group effects during reward anticipation or feedback in pre-defined ROIs. These null findings were supported by post hoc Bayesian analyses. However, in the whole-brain analysis, cannabis users had greater feedback activity in the prefrontal and inferior parietal cortex compared to controls. In conclusion, cannabis users and controls had similar neural responses during reward anticipation and in hypothesised reward-related regions during reward feedback. The whole-brain analysis revealed tentative evidence of greater fronto-parietal activity in cannabis users during feedback. Adolescents showed no increased vulnerability compared with adults. Overall, reward anticipation and feedback processing appear spared in adolescent and adult cannabis users, but future longitudinal studies are needed to corroborate this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Skumlien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Claire Mokrysz
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tom P Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Matthew B Wall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Invicro, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Rachel Lees
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Anna Borissova
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kat Petrilli
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - James Carson
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tiernan Coughlan
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Shelan Ofori
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christelle Langley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - H Valerie Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Will Lawn
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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14
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McKendrick G, McDevitt DS, Shafeek P, Cottrill A, Graziane NM. Anterior cingulate cortex and its projections to the ventral tegmental area regulate opioid withdrawal, the formation of opioid context associations and context-induced drug seeking. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:972658. [PMID: 35992922 PMCID: PMC9388764 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.972658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical evidence suggests that there are correlations between activity within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) following re-exposure to drug-associated contexts and drug craving. However, there are limited data contributing to our understanding of ACC function at the cellular level during re-exposure to drug-context associations as well as whether the ACC is directly related to context-induced drug seeking. Here, we addressed this issue by employing our novel behavioral procedure capable of measuring the formation of drug-context associations as well as context-induced drug-seeking behavior in male mice (8–12 weeks of age) that orally self-administered oxycodone. We found that mice escalated oxycodone intake during the long-access training sessions and that conditioning with oxycodone was sufficient to evoke conditioned place preference (CPP) and drug-seeking behaviors. Additionally, we found that thick-tufted, but not thin-tufted pyramidal neurons (PyNs) in the ACC as well as ventral tegmental area (VTA)-projecting ACC neurons had increased intrinsic membrane excitability in mice that self-administered oxycodone compared to controls. Moreover, we found that global inhibition of the ACC or inhibition of VTA-projecting ACC neurons was sufficient to significantly reduce oxycodone-induced CPP, drug seeking, and spontaneous opioid withdrawal. These results demonstrate a direct role of ACC activity in mediating context-induced opioid seeking among other behaviors, including withdrawal, that are associated with the DSM-V criteria of opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greer McKendrick
- Neuroscience Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Dillon S. McDevitt
- Neuroscience Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Peter Shafeek
- Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Adam Cottrill
- Neuroscience Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Nicholas M. Graziane
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Nicholas M. Graziane,
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15
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Nardone R, Sebastianelli L, Versace V, Ferrazzoli D, Brigo F, Schwenker K, Saltuari L, Trinka E. TMS for the functional evaluation of cannabis effects and for treatment of cannabis addiction: A review. Psychiatry Res 2022; 310:114431. [PMID: 35219263 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The knowledge about the effects of cannabis on human cortical brain processes is increasing. In this regard, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) enables the evaluation of central nervous system function, including drug effects. Moreover, repetitive TMS (rTMS) has been used therapeutically in several substance use disorders. In this scoping review, we summarize and discuss studies that have employed TMS and rTMS techniques in users of cannabis for recreational purposes. In subjects with a history of persistent cannabis use, TMS studies showed reduced short-interval cortical inhibition (SICI). This observation points more at neurobiological changes of chronic cannabis use than to a direct effect of cannabis on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptors. Moreover, individuals vulnerable to becoming long-term users of cannabis may also have underlying pre-existing abnormalities in SICI. Of note, the use of cannabis is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, and the down-regulation of GABAergic function may play a role. Less frequent cannabis use and spontaneous craving were observed following rTMS applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). There is emerging evidence that the posterior cingulate cortex and the precuneus are potential targets for rTMS intervention in cannabis use disorder. However, larger and randomized trials should corroborate these encouraging findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Nardone
- Department of Neurology, Hospital of Merano (SABES-ASDAA), Merano-Meran, Italy; Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Salzburg, Austria; Karl Landsteiner Institut für Neurorehabilitation und Raumfahrtneurologie, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Luca Sebastianelli
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno (SABES-ASDAA), Vipiteno-Sterzing, Italy; Research Unit for Neurorehabilitation South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Viviana Versace
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno (SABES-ASDAA), Vipiteno-Sterzing, Italy; Research Unit for Neurorehabilitation South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Davide Ferrazzoli
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno (SABES-ASDAA), Vipiteno-Sterzing, Italy; Research Unit for Neurorehabilitation South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Francesco Brigo
- Department of Neurology, Hospital of Merano (SABES-ASDAA), Merano-Meran, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Science, University of Verona, Italy
| | - Kerstin Schwenker
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Karl Landsteiner Institut für Neurorehabilitation und Raumfahrtneurologie, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Leopold Saltuari
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Hospital of Vipiteno (SABES-ASDAA), Vipiteno-Sterzing, Italy; Research Unit for Neurorehabilitation South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Eugen Trinka
- Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Klinik, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Karl Landsteiner Institut für Neurorehabilitation und Raumfahrtneurologie, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neurosciences Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; UMIT, University for Medical Informatics and Health Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
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16
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Ramaekers JG, Theunissen EL, van Ruitenbeek P, Mason NL. Cannabis Use and Neuroadaptation: A Call for Δ 9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol Challenge Studies. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:870750. [PMID: 35492732 PMCID: PMC9046729 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.870750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the assessment of the neurobehavioral consequences of repeated cannabis use is restricted to studies in which brain function of chronic cannabis users is compared to that of non-cannabis using controls. The assumption of such studies is that changes in brain function of chronic users are caused by repeated and prolonged exposure to acute cannabis intoxication. However, differences in brain function between chronic cannabis users and non-users might also arise from confounding factors such as polydrug use, alcohol use, withdrawal, economic status, or lifestyle conditions. We propose a methodology that highlights the relevance of acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) dosing studies for a direct assessment of neuroadaptations in chronic cannabis users. The approach includes quantification of neurochemical, receptor, and functional brain network changes in response to an acute cannabis challenge, as well as stratification of cannabis using groups ranging from occasional to cannabis-dependent individuals. The methodology allows for an evaluation of THC induced neuroadaptive and neurocognitive changes across cannabis use history, that can inform neurobiological models on reward driven, compulsive cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes G Ramaekers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Eef L Theunissen
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Peter van Ruitenbeek
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Natasha L Mason
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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17
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Working Overtime: Altered Functional Connectivity in Working Memory Following Regular Cannabis Use in Young Adults. Int J Ment Health Addict 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11469-020-00226-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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18
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Kearney-Ramos T, Haney M. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a potential treatment approach for cannabis use disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 109:110290. [PMID: 33677045 PMCID: PMC9165758 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The expanding legalization of cannabis across the United States is associated with increases in cannabis use, and accordingly, an increase in the number and severity of individuals with cannabis use disorder (CUD). The lack of FDA-approved pharmacotherapies and modest efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions means that many of those who seek treatment for CUD relapse within the first few months. Consequently, there is a pressing need for innovative, evidence-based treatment development for CUD. Preliminary evidence suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be a novel, non-invasive therapeutic neuromodulation tool for the treatment of a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs), including recently receiving FDA clearance (August 2020) for use as a smoking cessation aid in tobacco cigarette smokers. However, the potential of rTMS for CUD has not yet been reviewed. This paper provides a primer on therapeutic neuromodulation techniques for SUDs, with a particular focus on reviewing the current status of rTMS research in people who use cannabis. Lastly, future directions are proposed for rTMS treatment development in CUD, with suggestions for study design parameters and clinical endpoints based on current gold-standard practices for therapeutic neuromodulation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonisha Kearney-Ramos
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Margaret Haney
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA,Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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19
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration in humans (Lawn etal., 2016) and rats (Silveira, Adams, Morena, Hill, & Winstanley, 2016) has been associated with decreased effort allocation that may explain amotivation during acute cannabis intoxication. To date, however, whether residual effects of cannabis use on effort-based decision-making are present and observable in humans have not yet been determined. The goal of this study was to test whether prolonged cannabis use has residual effects on effort-based decision-making in 24-hr abstinent cannabis using adults. METHOD We evaluated performance on the Effort Expenditure for Reward Task (EEfRT) in 41 adult cannabis users (mean age = 24.63 years, 21 males) and 45 nonusers (mean age = 23.90 years, 19 males). A mixed 2x3x3 ANOVA with age as a covariate was performed to examine the effect of group, probability of winning, and reward amount on EEfRT performance. EEfRT performance was operationalized as % of trials for which the hard (vs. easy) condition was chosen. Pearson's correlations were conducted to test the relationship between EEfRT performance and measures of cannabis use, anhedonia and motivation. RESULTS We found that cannabis users selected hard trials significantly more than nonusers regardless of win probability or reward level. Frequency of cannabis use was positively correlated with amount of % hard trials chosen. There were no significant correlations between % hard trials chosen, self-reported anhedonia, or motivation. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that unlike acute effects, residual effects of cannabis following 24 hrs of abstinence are associated with greater effort allocation during effort-based decision-making.
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20
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Taylor M, Hammonds R, Filbey FM. The Relationship Between Behavioral Inhibition and Approach Motivation Systems (BIS/BAS) and Intrinsic Brain Network Connectivity in Adult Cannabis Users. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:985-994. [PMID: 34490458 PMCID: PMC8610091 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dampened behavioral inhibition and overactive behavioral approach motivation systems
(i.e. BIS/BAS) are associated with cannabis use disorder (CUD), although the underlying
neural mechanisms of these alterations have not yet been examined. The brain’s executive
control network (ECN) plays a role in decision-making and is associated with BIS/BAS. In
this study, we tested the hypothesis that altered ECN resting-state functional
connectivity (rsFC) underlies dysfunctional behavioral inhibition and approach motivation
in cannabis users. To that end, we collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance
imaging scans in 86 cannabis using adults and 59 non-using adults to examine group
differences in the relationship between ECN rsFC and BIS/BAS. Our results showed that BIS
was positively correlated with left ECN rsFC in cannabis users, while it was positively
correlated with right ECN rsFC in non-users. There was a trend-level moderation effect of
group on the association between BIS/BAS and ECN rsFC, showing a weaker association in
BIS/BAS and ECN rsFC in cannabis users compared to non-users. An exploratory mediation
analysis found that the severity of CUD mediated the relationship between users’ BIS
scores and left ECN rsFC. These findings suggest that cannabis use may lead to
dysregulation in typical ECN functional organization related to BIS/BAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Taylor
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Center for BrainHealth, 2200 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - R Hammonds
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Center for BrainHealth, 2200 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
| | - F M Filbey
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Center for BrainHealth, 2200 W. Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75235, USA
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21
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Kuhns L, Kroon E, Filbey F, Cousijn J. Unraveling the role of cigarette use in neural cannabis cue reactivity in heavy cannabis users. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12941. [PMID: 32761688 PMCID: PMC7862430 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cue reactivity is an important biomarker of cannabis use disorder (CUD). Despite high rates of cigarette and cannabis co‐use, its role in cannabis cue reactivity remains unclear. Using a visual functional magnetic resonance imaging cue reactivity paradigm, we investigated interactive effects of cannabis and cigarette use on cannabis cue relative to cigarette and neutral cue reactivity in a priori regions of interest—the amygdala, striatum, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and orbitofrontal cortex—and a whole‐brain analysis. In our sample of cannabis users and controls closely matched on cigarette use, significant interactions between cannabis and cigarette use status emerged in the amygdala, striatum, ACC, frontal pole, and inferior frontal gyrus. Cannabis‐only users showed heightened cue reactivity in the amygdala compared with nonusing controls. Co‐users did not show heightened cue reactivity compared with cigarette smoking controls, although cue‐induced VTA activity was positively correlated with grams per week of cannabis. Cigarette smoking controls showed unexpectedly heightened cue reactivity compared to co‐users and nonsmoking controls. These findings and the high prevalence of cannabis and cigarette co‐use underscore the importance of considering cigarette smoking status when investigating the role of cue reactivity in heavy cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kuhns
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC) University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Emese Kroon
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC) University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Francesca Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences University of Texas at Dallas Dallas TX USA
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC) University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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22
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Filbey FM, Beaton D, Prashad S. The contributions of the endocannabinoid system and stress on the neural processing of reward stimuli. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110183. [PMID: 33221340 PMCID: PMC8204292 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The brain's endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in reward processes by mediating appetitive learning and encoding the reinforcing properties of substances. Evidence also suggests that endocannabinoids are an important constituent of neuronal substrates involved in emotional responses to stress. Thus, it is critical to understand how the endocannabinoid system and stress may affect reward processes given their importance in substance use disorders. We examined the relationship between factors that regulate endocannabinoid system signaling (i.e., cannabinoid receptor genes and prolonged cannabis exposure) and stress on fMRI BOLD response to reward cues using multivariate statistical analysis. We found that proxies for endocannabinoid system signaling (i.e., endocannabinoid genes and chronic exposure to cannabis) and stress have differential effects on neural response to cannabis cues. Specifically, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant in the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene, early life stress, and current perceived stress modulated reward responsivity in long-term, heavy cannabis users, while a variant in the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) gene and current perceived stress modulated cue-elicited response in non-using controls. These associations were related to distinct neural responses to cannabis-related cues compared to natural reward cues. Understanding the contributions of endocannabinoid system factors and stress that lead to downstream effects on neural mechanisms underlying sensitivity to rewards, such as cannabis, will contribute towards a better understanding of endocannabinoid-targeted therapies as well as individual risks for cannabis use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- F M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - D Beaton
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Prashad
- Department of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States of America
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23
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Hammond CJ, Wu J, Krishnan-Sarin S, Mayes LC, Potenza MN, Crowley MJ. Co-occurring tobacco and cannabis use in adolescents: Dissociable relationships with mediofrontal electrocortical activity during reward feedback processing. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 30:102592. [PMID: 33667977 PMCID: PMC7932890 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Differences in corticostriatal neural activity during feedback processing of rewards and losses have been separately related to cannabis and tobacco use but remain understudied relative to co-use in adolescents. Using high-density EEG (128 electrode system, 1000 Hz sampling), we examined event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by monetary reward, neutral, and loss feedback during performance on a non-learning four-choice guessing task in a sample of non-deprived daily-cigarette-smoking adolescents (n = 36) who used tobacco and cannabis regularly (TC adolescents), and non-smoking healthy control adolescents (HCs) (n = 29). Peak amplitudes and latencies of mediofrontal ERPs indexing feedback-related negativities (FRNs) were used as outcomes in repeated-measures ANOVAs. No differences in FRNs were observed between TC and HC adolescents. Within TC adolescents, cannabis-use and tobacco-use variables had distinct relationships with the FRN, with cannabis-related problem severity being positively correlated with FRN amplitude during reward feedback and tobacco-related problem severity being negatively correlated with FRN latency during non-loss feedback (i.e., reward and neutral). These findings suggest that co-occurring cannabis and tobacco use may have dissociable relationships with feedback processing relating to each drug and support an incentive salience model of addiction severity related to cannabis use in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Hammond
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
| | - Jia Wu
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Linda C Mayes
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States; Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, United States; Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michael J Crowley
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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24
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Crane NA, Funkhouser CJ, Burkhouse KL, Klumpp H, Phan KL, Shankman SA. Cannabis users demonstrate enhanced neural reactivity to reward: An event-related potential and time-frequency EEG study. Addict Behav 2021; 113:106669. [PMID: 33035810 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Disruptions in neural measures of reward responsiveness are implicated in risk for and the development of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) in general, but it is not clear if this is also true for Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). To date, no studies have examined neural reward responsiveness in cannabis users using EEG. METHODS Cannabis users (CU; n = 67) and non-users (n = 60) were drawn from larger studies of individuals with and without internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Groups were matched on current and lifetime psychopathology. Participants completed a validated monetary reward task during electroencephalogram (EEG). One-way between subject analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models examined group differences in four EEG indicators of reward responsiveness - the reward positivity (RewP) and feedback negativity (FN) event-related potentials and two time-frequency measures (reward-related delta and loss-related theta). RESULTS CU demonstrated an enhanced RewP to the attainment of monetary reward compared to non-users (p = .004), even after controlling for relevant covariates. Secondary analyses found that occasional CU, but not current CUD or remitted CUD, showed enhanced RewP compared to non-users. There were no significant differences in FN, reward-related delta, or loss-related theta time-frequency measures between groups. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to show preliminary evidence that CU have an enhanced RewP to reward and the extent of disruption may be related to CUD status. Our findings suggest that greater neural reward responsiveness may only be seen among occasional CU, not necessarily among CU with current or remitted CUD.
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25
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Sehl H, Terrett G, Greenwood LM, Kowalczyk M, Thomson H, Poudel G, Manning V, Lorenzetti V. Patterns of brain function associated with cannabis cue-reactivity in regular cannabis users: a systematic review of fMRI studies. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2709-2728. [PMID: 34505940 PMCID: PMC8455486 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05973-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Regular cannabis use (i.e. ≥ monthly) is highly prevalent, with past year use being reported by ~ 200 million people globally.High reactivity to cannabis cues is a key feature of regular cannabis use and has been ascribed to greater cannabis exposure and craving, but the underlying neurobiology is yet to be systematically integrated. OBJECTIVES We aim to systematically summarise the findings from fMRI studies which examined brain function in cannabis users while exposed to cannabis vs neutral stimuli during a cue-reactivity fMRI task. METHODS A systematic search of PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus databases was pre-registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020171750) and conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Eighteen studies met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Samples comprised 918 participants (340 female) aged 16-38 years. Of these, 603 were regular cannabis users, and 315 were controls. RESULTS The literature consistently reported greater brain activity in cannabis users while exposed to cannabis vs neutral stimuli in three key brain areas: the striatum, the prefrontal (anterior cingulate, middle frontal) and the parietal cortex (posterior cingulate/precuneus) and additional brain regions (hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, occipital cortex). Preliminary correlations emerged between cannabis craving and the function of partially overlapping regions (amygdala, striatum, orbitofrontal cortex ). CONCLUSIONS Exposure to cannabis-cues may elicit greater brain function and thus trigger cravings in regular cannabis users and thus trigger cannabis craving. Standardised and longitudinal assessments of cannabis use and related problems are required to profile with greater precision the neurobiology of cannabis cue-reactivity, and its role in predicting cravings and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Sehl
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Daniel Mannix building, 17 Young Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 Australia
| | - Gill Terrett
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Daniel Mannix building, 17 Young Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 Australia
| | - Lisa-Marie Greenwood
- Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia ,The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, New South Wales Australia
| | - Magdalena Kowalczyk
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Daniel Mannix building, 17 Young Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 Australia
| | - Hannah Thomson
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Daniel Mannix building, 17 Young Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065 Australia
| | - Govinda Poudel
- Mary Mackillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Victoria Manning
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Daniel Mannix building, 17 Young Street, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.
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26
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Dawes C, Bickerdike A, O'Neill C, Carneiro Pereira S, Waddington JL, Moran PM, O'Tuathaigh CMP. Cannabis Use, Schizotypy and Kamin Blocking Performance. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:633476. [PMID: 34887781 PMCID: PMC8649723 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.633476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis use has been associated with increased risk for a first episode of psychosis and inappropriate assignment of salience to extraneous stimuli has been proposed as a mechanism underlying this association. Psychosis-prone (especially schizotypal) personality traits are associated with deficits in associative learning tasks that measure salience allocation. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between history of cannabis use and Kamin blocking (KB), a form of selective associative learning, in a non-clinical sample. Additionally, KB was examined in relation to self-reported schizotypy and aberrant salience scale profiles. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 307 healthy participants with no previous psychiatric or neurological history. Participants were recruited and tested using the Testable Minds behavioural testing platform. KB was calculated using Oades' "mouse in the house task", performance of which is disrupted in schizophrenia patients. Schizotypy was measured using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), and the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) was used to assess self-reported unusual or inappropriate salience. The modified Cannabis Experience Questionnaire (CEQm) was used to collect detailed history of use of cannabis and other recreational drugs. Regression models and Bayesian t-tests or ANOVA (or non-parametric equivalents) examined differences in KB based on lifetime or current cannabis use (frequent use during previous year), as well as frequency of use among those who had previously used cannabis. Neither lifetime nor current cannabis use was associated with any significant change in total or trial-specific KB scores. Current cannabis use was associated with higher Disorganised SPQ dimension scores and higher total and sub-scale values for the ASI. A modest positive association was observed between total KB score and Disorganised SPQ dimension scores, but no relationships were found between KB and other SPQ measures. Higher scores on "Senses Sharpening" ASI sub-scale predicted decreased KB score only in participants who have not engaged in recent cannabis use. These results are discussed in the context of our understanding of the effects of long-term cannabis exposure on salience attribution, as well as inconsistencies in the literature with respect to both the relationship between KB and schizotypy and the measurement of KB associative learning phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Dawes
- School of Psychology, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Bickerdike
- Department of Sport, Leisure, and Childhood Studies, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland
| | - Cian O'Neill
- Department of Sport, Leisure, and Childhood Studies, Munster Technological University, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sarah Carneiro Pereira
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - John L Waddington
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Paula M Moran
- School of Psychology, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Colm M P O'Tuathaigh
- Medical Education Unit, School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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27
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Relationship between BMI and alcohol consumption levels in decision making. Int J Obes (Lond) 2021; 45:2455-2463. [PMID: 34363001 PMCID: PMC8528710 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-021-00919-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Decision-making deficits in obesity and alcohol use disorder (AUD) may contribute to the choice of immediate rewards despite their long-term deleterious consequences. METHODS Gambling task functional MRI in Human connectome project (HCP) dataset was used to investigate neural activation differences associated with reward or punishment (a key component of decision-making behavior) in 418 individuals with obesity (high BMI) and without obesity (lean BMI) and either at high (HR) or low (LR) risk of AUD based on their alcohol drinking levels. RESULTS Interaction between BMI and alcohol drinking was seen in regions of the default mode network (DMN) and those implicated in self-related processing, memory, and salience attribution. ObesityHR relative to obesityLR also recruited DMN along with primary motor and regions implicated in inattention, negative perception, and uncertain choices, which might facilitate impulsive choices in obesityHR. Furthermore, obesityHR compared to leanHR/leanLR also demonstrated heightened activation in DMN and regions implicated in uncertain decisions. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that BMI is an independent variable from that of alcohol drinking levels in neural processing of gambling tasks. Moreover, leanLR relative to leanHR, showed increased activation in motor regions [precentral and superior frontal gyrus] suggestive of worse executive function from excessive alcohol use. Delayed discounting measures failed to distinguish between obesity and high alcohol drinking levels, which as for gambling task results suggests independent negative effects of obesity and chronic alcohol drinking on decision-making. These findings highlight distinct associations of obesity and high-risk alcohol drinking with two key constituents of decision-making behavior.
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28
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Kleinhans NM, Sweigert J, Blake M, Douglass B, Doane B, Reitz F, Larimer M. FMRI activation to cannabis odor cues is altered in individuals at risk for a cannabis use disorder. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01764. [PMID: 32862560 PMCID: PMC7559640 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The smell of cannabis is a cue with universal relevance to cannabis users. However, most cue reactivity imaging studies have solely utilized visual images, auditory imagery scripts, or tactile cues in their experiments. This study introduces a multimodal cue reactivity paradigm that includes picture, odor, and bimodal picture + odor cues. METHODS Twenty-eight adults at risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD; defined as at least weekly use and Substance Involvement Score of ≥4 on the Cannabis sub-test of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test) and 26 cannabis-naive controls were exposed to cannabis and floral cues during event-related fMRI. Between-group differences in fMRI activation and correlations were tested using FMRIB's Local Analyses of Mixed Effects and corrected for multiple comparisons using a voxelwise threshold of z > 2.3 and a corrected cluster threshold of p < .05. RESULTS Both visual and olfactory modalities resulted in significant activation of craving and reward systems, with cannabis odor cues eliciting a significantly greater response in regions mediating anticipation and reward (nucleus accumbens, pallidum, putamen, and anterior insular cortex, supplementary motor area, angular gyrus and superior frontal gyrus) and cannabis picture cues eliciting a significantly greater response in the occipital cortex and amygdala. Furthermore, the CUD group showed significantly increased activation in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the insula, and the pallidum compared to controls. Within the CUD group, activation in the insula, anterior cingulate, and occipital cortex to bimodal cannabis cues was significantly correlated with self-reported craving. CONCLUSION Our multimodal cue reactivity paradigm is sensitive to neural adaptations associated with problematic cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia M Kleinhans
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Integrated Brain Imaging Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Julia Sweigert
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Integrated Brain Imaging Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matthew Blake
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.,Integrated Brain Imaging Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Fredrick Reitz
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mary Larimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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29
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Klugah-Brown B, Di X, Zweerings J, Mathiak K, Becker B, Biswal B. Common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders: A coordinate-based meta-analyses of functional neuroimaging studies in humans. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4459-4477. [PMID: 32964613 PMCID: PMC7555084 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Delineating common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders (SUD) is imperative to understand the neurobiological basis of the addictive process and to inform substance‐specific treatment strategies. Given numerous functional MRI (fMRI) studies in different SUDs, a meta‐analysis could provide an opportunity to determine robust shared and substance‐specific alterations. The present study employed a coordinate‐based meta‐analysis covering fMRI studies in individuals with addictive cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use. The primary meta‐analysis demonstrated common alterations in primary dorsal striatal, and frontal circuits engaged in reward/salience processing, habit formation, and executive control across different substances and task‐paradigms. Subsequent sub‐analyses revealed substance‐specific alterations in frontal and limbic regions, with marked frontal and insula‐thalamic alterations in alcohol and nicotine use disorders respectively. Examining task‐specific alterations across substances revealed pronounced frontal alterations during cognitive processes yet stronger striatal alterations during reward‐related processes. Finally, an exploratory meta‐analysis revealed that neurofunctional alterations in striatal and frontal reward processing regions can already be determined with a high probability in studies with subjects with comparably short durations of use. Together the findings emphasize the role of dysregulations in frontostriatal circuits and dissociable contributions of these systems in the domains of reward‐related and cognitive processes which may contribute to substance‐specific behavioral alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin Di
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jana Zweerings
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Bharat Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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30
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Yoo HB, Moya BE, Filbey FM. Dynamic functional connectivity between nucleus accumbens and the central executive network relates to chronic cannabis use. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:3637-3654. [PMID: 32432821 PMCID: PMC7416060 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural mechanisms of drug cue‐reactivity regarding the temporal fluctuations of functional connectivity, namely the dynamic connectivity, are sparsely studied. Quantifying the task‐modulated variability in dynamic functional connectivity at cue exposure can aid the understanding. We analyzed changes in dynamic connectivity in 54 adult cannabis users and 90 controls during a cannabis cue exposure task. The variability was measured as standard deviation in the (a) connectivity weights of the default mode, the central executive, and the salience networks and two reward loci (amygdalae and nuclei accumbens); and (b) topological indexes of the whole brain (global efficiency, modularity and network resilience). These were compared for the main effects of task conditions and the group (users vs. controls), and correlated with pre‐ and during‐scan subjective craving. The variability of connectivity weights between the central executive network and nuclei accumbens was increased in users throughout the cue exposure task, and, was positively correlated with during‐scan craving for cannabis. The variability of modularity was not different by groups, but positively correlated with prescan craving. The variability of dynamic connectivity during cannabis cue exposure task between the central executive network and the nuclei accumbens, and, the level of modularity, seem to relate to the neural underpinning of cannabis use and the subjective craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Bin Yoo
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA.,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Blake Edward Moya
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
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31
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Deconstructing the neurobiology of cannabis use disorder. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:600-610. [PMID: 32251385 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0611-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There have been dramatic changes worldwide in the attitudes toward and consumption of recreational and medical cannabis. Cannabinoid receptors, which mediate the actions of cannabis, are abundantly expressed in brain regions known to mediate neural processes underlying reward, cognition, emotional regulation and stress responsivity relevant to addiction vulnerability. Despite debates regarding potential pathological consequences of cannabis use, cannabis use disorder is a clinical diagnosis with high prevalence in the general population and that often has its genesis in adolescence and in vulnerable individuals associated with psychiatric comorbidity, genetic and environmental factors. Integrated information from human and animal studies is beginning to expand insights regarding neurobiological systems associated with cannabis use disorder, which often share common neural characteristics with other substance use disorders, that could inform prevention and treatment strategies.
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32
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Sex-related differences in subjective, but not neural, cue-elicited craving response in heavy cannabis users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 209:107931. [PMID: 32113057 PMCID: PMC8173440 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies indicate that female cannabis users progress through the milestones of cannabis use disorder (CUD) more quickly than male users, likely due to greater subjective craving response in women relative to men. While studies have reported sex-related differences in subjective craving, differences in neural response and the relative contributions of neural and behavioral response remain unclear. METHODS We examined sex-related differences in neural and behavioral response to cannabis cues and cannabis use measures in 112 heavy cannabis users (54 females). We used principal component analysis to determine the relative contributions of neural and behavioral response and cannabis use measures. RESULTS We found that principal component (PC) 1, which accounts for the most variance in the dataset, was correlated with neural response to cannabis cues with no differences between male and female users (p = 0.21). PC2, which accounts for the second-most variance, was correlated with subjective craving such that female users exhibited greater subjective craving relative to male users (p = 0.003). We also found that CUD symptoms correlated with both PC1 and PC2, corroborating the relationship between craving and CUD severity. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that neural activity primarily underlies response to cannabis cues and that a complex relationship characterizes a convergent neural response and a divergent subjective craving response that differs between the sexes. Accounting for these differences will increase efficacy of treatments through personalized approaches.
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33
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Martz ME, Cope LM, Hardee JE, Brislin SJ, Weigard A, Zucker RA, Heitzeg MM. Frontostriatal Resting State Functional Connectivity in Resilient and Non-Resilient Adolescents with a Family History of Alcohol Use Disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2019; 29:508-515. [PMID: 31368775 PMCID: PMC6727473 DOI: 10.1089/cap.2018.0169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: Youth with parental substance use disorder (family-history positive [FH+]) are at an elevated risk for substance use problems, but not all FH+ youth experience this outcome. Frontostriatal brain networks involved in inhibitory control and reward responsivity underlie risk-taking behaviors, but the role of these networks in substance use heterogeneity among FH+ youth has not been examined. The present study examined resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in frontostriatal networks in FH+ youth with and without risky substance use. Methods: Participants were 36 FH+ adolescents (mean age 14.96 years at the scan date; 36% female) from a longitudinal, community-based functional magnetic resonance imaging study enriched for parental alcohol use disorder. Groups were based on the absence (resilient) or presence (high-risk) of at least one occasion of any substance use by age 14 and also use of at least two different types of substances by the most recent substance use assessment (mean age 16.89 years). Bilateral masks of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the nucleus accumbens were used for seed-based RSFC due to the importance of these regions in executive control and salience networks, respectively. Results: Compared with FH+/high-risk youth, FH+/resilient youth displayed greater connectivity between the left DLPFC seed and the left posterior cingulate cortex. No other brain regions showed significantly different RSFC between resilient and high-risk groups. Conclusion: FH+/resilient youth showed stronger synchrony between brain regions associated with cognitive control, particularly those associated with flexible adaptation of thoughts and behaviors. Although preliminary, the results of this study set the stage for a continued focus on risk-group heterogeneity to better identify neural markers of resilience against substance use problems in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan E. Martz
- Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lora M. Cope
- Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jillian E. Hardee
- Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Sarah J. Brislin
- Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Alexander Weigard
- Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Robert A. Zucker
- Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Mary M. Heitzeg
- Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Address correspondence to: Mary M. Heitzeg, PhD, Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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Fatima H, Howlett AC, Whitlow CT. Reward, Control & Decision-Making in Cannabis Use Disorder: Insights from Functional MRI. Br J Radiol 2019; 92:20190165. [PMID: 31364398 PMCID: PMC6732906 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20190165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The recreational consumption of cannabis has increased significantly across the world with an estimated 180 million people currently using. In the United States, 4.1 million are currently diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. Cannabis dependence and abuse was combined into a single entity as a behavioral disorder with a problematic pattern of cannabis use and termed cannabis use disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Chronic use of cannabis has been linked with region-specific effects across the brain mediating reward processing, cognitive control and decision-making that are central to understanding addictive behaviors. This review presents a snapshot of the current literature assessing the effects of chronic cannabis use on human brain function via functional MRI. Studies employing various paradigms and contrasting cognitive activation amongst cannabis users and non-users were incorporated. The effects of trans-del-ta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in marijuana and other preparations of cannabis are mediated by the endocannabinoid system, which is also briefly introduced.Much variation exists in the current literature regarding the functional changes associated with chronic cannabis use. One possible explanation for this variation is the heterogeneity in study designs, with little implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria when selecting chronic users, distinct time points of participant assessment, differing cognitive paradigms and imaging protocols. As such, there is an urgent requirement for future investigations that further characterize functional changes associated with chronic cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudaisa Fatima
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Section of Neuroradiology, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
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Zhang S, Zhornitsky S, Le TM, Li CSR. Hypothalamic Responses to Cocaine and Food Cues in Individuals with Cocaine Dependence. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 22:754-764. [PMID: 31420667 PMCID: PMC6929672 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with cocaine addiction are characterized by under-responsiveness to natural reinforcers. As part of the dopaminergic pathways, the hypothalamus supports motivated behaviors. Rodent studies suggested inter-related roles of the hypothalamus in regulating drug and food intake. However, few studies have investigated hypothalamic responses to drugs and food or related cues in humans. METHODS We examined regional responses in 20 cocaine-dependent and 24 healthy control participants exposed to cocaine/food (cocaine dependent) and food (healthy control) vs neutral cues during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We examined the relationship between imaging findings and clinical variables and performed mediation analyses to examine the inter-relationships between cue-related activations, tonic cocaine craving, and recent cocaine use. RESULTS At a corrected threshold, cocaine-dependent participants demonstrated higher activation to cocaine than to food cues in the hypothalamus, inferior parietal cortex, and visual cortex. Cocaine-dependent participants as compared with healthy control participants also demonstrated higher hypothalamic activation to food cues. Further, the extent of these cue-induced hypothalamic activations was correlated with tonic craving, as assessed by the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire, and days of cocaine use in the prior month. In mediation analyses, hypothalamic activation to cocaine and food cues both completely mediated the relationship between the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire score and days of cocaine use in the past month. CONCLUSIONS The results were consistent with the proposition that the mechanisms of feeding and drug addiction are inter-linked in the hypothalamus and altered in cocaine addiction. The findings provide new evidence in support of hypothalamic dysfunction in cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Correspondence: Sheng Zhang, PhD, Connecticut Mental Health Center S103, 34 Park Street, New Haven CT 06519 ()
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT
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Zilverstand A, Huang AS, Alia-Klein N, Goldstein RZ. Neuroimaging Impaired Response Inhibition and Salience Attribution in Human Drug Addiction: A Systematic Review. Neuron 2019; 98:886-903. [PMID: 29879391 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.03.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 280] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The impaired response inhibition and salience attribution (iRISA) model proposes that impaired response inhibition and salience attribution underlie drug seeking and taking. To update this model, we systematically reviewed 105 task-related neuroimaging studies (n > 15/group) published since 2010. Results demonstrate specific impairments within six large-scale brain networks (reward, habit, salience, executive, memory, and self-directed networks) during drug cue exposure, decision making, inhibitory control, and social-emotional processing. Addicted individuals demonstrated increased recruitment of these networks during drug-related processing but a blunted response during non-drug-related processing, with the same networks also being implicated during resting state. Associations with real-life drug use, relapse, therapeutic interventions, and the relevance to initiation of drug use during adolescence support the clinical relevance of the results. Whereas the salience and executive networks showed impairments throughout the addiction cycle, the reward network was dysregulated at later stages of abuse. Effects were similar in alcohol, cannabis, and stimulant addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zilverstand
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Anna S Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nelly Alia-Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Rita Z Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Norris C, Szkudlarek HJ, Pereira B, Rushlow W, Laviolette SR. The Bivalent Rewarding and Aversive properties of Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol are Mediated Through Dissociable Opioid Receptor Substrates and Neuronal Modulation Mechanisms in Distinct Striatal Sub-Regions. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9760. [PMID: 31278333 PMCID: PMC6611878 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46215-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is capable of producing bivalent rewarding and aversive affective states through interactions with the mesolimbic system. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the dissociable effects of THC are not currently understood. In the present study, we identify anatomically dissociable effects of THC within the rat nucleus accumbens (NAc), using an integrative combination of behavioral pharmacology and in vivo neuronal electrophysiology. We report that the rewarding vs. aversive stimulus properties of THC are both anatomically and pharmacologically dissociable within distinct anterior vs. posterior sub-regions of the NAc. While the rewarding effects of THC were dependent upon local μ-opioid receptor signaling, the aversive effects of THC were processed via a κ-opioid receptor substrate. Behaviorally, THC in the posterior NASh induced deficits in social reward and cognition whereas THC in the anterior NAc, potentiated opioid-related reward salience. In vivo neuronal recordings demonstrated that THC decreased medium spiny neuron (MSN) activity in the anterior NAc and increased the power of gamma (γ) oscillations. In contrast, THC increased MSN activity states in the posterior NASh and decreased γ-oscillation power. These findings reveal critical new insights into the bi-directional neuronal and pharmacological mechanisms controlling the dissociable effects of THC in mesolimbic-mediated affective processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Norris
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada.
- Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada.
| | - Hanna J Szkudlarek
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Brian Pereira
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Walter Rushlow
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1, Canada
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Palmer RHC, McGeary JE, Knopik VS, Bidwell LC, Metrik JM. CNR1 and FAAH variation and affective states induced by marijuana smoking. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 45:514-526. [PMID: 31184938 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1614596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background: Polymorphisms in cannabinoid receptor type 1 (encoded by CNR1) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (encoded by FAAH) have been associated with cannabis dependence, but it remains unknown whether variation within these genes influences cannabis' acute effects on affect. Objective: Conduct a secondary data analysis study to determine whether previously observed acute effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on mood was dependent upon variation in CNR1 and FAAH. Methods: A balanced placebo design was used crossing marijuana administration (i.e., 0% THC vs. 2.8% THC) with stimulus expectancy. Participants (N = 118; 64% male) provided DNA and completed the Profile of Mood States questionnaire prior to and after smoking. Haplotypes were constructed from genotyped single nucleotide polymorphisms for CNR1 (rs1049353 and rs806368) and FAAH (rs4141964, rs324420, and rs11576941); rs2023239 (CNR1) and rs6703669 (FAAH) were not part of a phased haplotype block. Analyses tested both main and interaction effects for genotype across CNR1 and FAAH, and drug, and expectancy effects. Results: THC increased levels of POMS Tension-Anxiety and Confusion-Bewilderment over and above the effects of variation in CNR1 and FAAH. Significant drug X genotype/haplotype and expectancy X genotype/haplotype interaction effects were observed for some but not all mood states [e.g., 'C' allele carriers of rs2023239 who received THC had higher levels of Anger-Hostility (β= 0.29 (0.12), p= .02) compared to those who received placebo]. Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest individual differences in mood states after using marijuana depend on genetic variation. Such information might be useful in understanding either motivation for use of marijuana and/or risk for associated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan H C Palmer
- a Department of Psychology at Emory University, Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory , Atlanta , GA , USA
| | - John E McGeary
- b Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Providence , RI , USA.,c Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University , Providence , RI , USA.,d Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Valerie S Knopik
- e Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University , West Lafayette , IN , USA
| | - L Cinnamon Bidwell
- f Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado at Boulder , Boulder , CO , USA
| | - Jane M Metrik
- b Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Providence , RI , USA.,d Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health , Providence , RI , USA
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Zhou X, Zimmermann K, Xin F, Zhao W, Derckx RT, Sassmannshausen A, Scheele D, Hurlemann R, Weber B, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Cue Reactivity in the Ventral Striatum Characterizes Heavy Cannabis Use, Whereas Reactivity in the Dorsal Striatum Mediates Dependent Use. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 4:751-762. [PMID: 31204249 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal models of addiction suggest that the transition from incentive-driven drug use to habitual and ultimately compulsive drug use is mediated by a shift from ventral to dorsal striatal cue control over drug seeking. Previous studies in human cannabis users reported elevated trait impulsivity and neural cue reactivity in striatal circuits; however, these studies were not able to separate addiction-related from exposure-related adaptations. METHODS To differentiate the adaptive changes, the current functional magnetic resonance imaging study examined behavioral and neural cue reactivity in dependent (n = 18) and nondependent (n = 20) heavy cannabis users and a nonusing reference group (n = 44). RESULTS Irrespective of dependence status, cannabis users demonstrated elevated trait impulsivity as well as increased ventral striatal reactivity and striatal frontal coupling in response to drug cues. Dependent users selectively exhibited dorsal striatal reactivity and decreased striatal limbic coupling during cue exposure. An exploratory analysis revealed that higher ventral caudate neural cue reactivity was associated with stronger cue-induced arousal and craving in dependent users, whereas this pattern was reversed in nondependent users. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, the current findings suggest that exaggerated responses of the ventral striatal reward system may promote excessive drug use in humans, whereas adaptations in dorsal striatal systems engaged in habit formation may promote the transition to addictive use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqi Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Kaeli Zimmermann
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Fei Xin
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Roelinka T Derckx
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anja Sassmannshausen
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rene Hurlemann
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurocognition, Life & Brain Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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Zehra A, Burns J, Liu CK, Manza P, Wiers CE, Volkow ND, Wang GJ. Cannabis Addiction and the Brain: a Review. FOCUS: JOURNAL OF LIFE LONG LEARNING IN PSYCHIATRY 2019; 17:169-182. [PMID: 32021587 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.17204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
(©Zehra A, Liuck, Manza P, Wiers CE, Volkow ND Wergh J, 2018. Reprinted with permission from Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology (2018) 13:438-452).
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Moreno-Rius J. The Cerebellum, THC, and Cannabis Addiction: Findings from Animal and Human Studies. THE CEREBELLUM 2019; 18:593-604. [DOI: 10.1007/s12311-018-0993-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Huang AS, Mitchell JA, Haber SN, Alia-Klein N, Goldstein RZ. The thalamus in drug addiction: from rodents to humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0028. [PMID: 29352027 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Impairments in response inhibition and salience attribution (iRISA) have been proposed to underlie the clinical symptoms of drug addiction as mediated by cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical networks. The bulk of evidence supporting the iRISA model comes from neuroimaging research that has focused on cortical and striatal influences with less emphasis on the role of the thalamus. Here, we highlight the importance of the thalamus in drug addiction, focusing on animal literature findings on thalamic nuclei in the context of drug-seeking, structural and functional changes of the thalamus as measured by imaging studies in human drug addiction, particularly during drug cue and non-drug reward processing, and response inhibition tasks. Findings from the animal literature suggest that the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, the lateral habenula and the mediodorsal nucleus may be involved in the reinstatement, extinction and expression of drug-seeking behaviours. In support of the iRISA model, the human addiction imaging literature demonstrates enhanced thalamus activation when reacting to drug cues and reduced thalamus activation during response inhibition. This pattern of response was further associated with the severity of, and relapse in, drug addiction. Future animal studies could widen their field of focus by investigating the specific role(s) of different thalamic nuclei in different phases of the addiction cycle. Similarly, future human imaging studies should aim to specifically delineate the structure and function of different thalamic nuclei, for example, through the application of advanced imaging protocols at higher magnetic fields (7 Tesla).This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Of mice and mental health: facilitating dialogue between basic and clinical neuroscientists'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Suzanne N Haber
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Nelly Alia-Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rita Z Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA .,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Reward activation in childhood predicts adolescent substance use initiation in a high-risk sample. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 194:318-325. [PMID: 30471583 PMCID: PMC6540995 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use at an early age conveys substantial risk for later substance-related problems. A better understanding of early risk factors could result in more timely and effective intervention. This study investigated the predictive utility of the brain's response to reward anticipation as a risk factor for early substance use initiation. METHODS Participants were 34 children (25 male) at high risk for alcohol and other substance use disorders from a longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging study, scanned at a mean age of 10.5 years (SD = 1.2) when participants were substance-naïve. We used a monetary incentive delay task to examine the hemodynamic response of the nucleus accumbens to gain and loss anticipation. Logistic regression was used to test the hypothesis that these brain response patterns would have predictive utility over and above early externalizing behaviors and family history of substance use disorder, two key risk factors for substance use problems, in differentiating those who initiated substance use before age 16 (n = 18) and those who did not (n = 16). RESULTS Greater nucleus accumbens activation during monetary gain anticipation in childhood increased the likelihood of initiating substance use during early adolescence (p = .023). The model that comprised neural data in addition to early externalizing behaviors and family history showed significantly better fit than the model without neural data (χ22 = 7.38, p = .025). CONCLUSIONS Heightened gain anticipation activation in the nucleus accumbens may predispose individuals to early substance use, beyond the risk conveyed by other known factors.
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Zehra A, Burns J, Liu CK, Manza P, Wiers CE, Volkow ND, Wang GJ. Cannabis Addiction and the Brain: a Review. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2018; 13:438-452. [PMID: 29556883 PMCID: PMC6223748 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-018-9782-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used substance of abuse in the United States after alcohol and tobacco. With a recent increase in the rates of cannabis use disorder (CUD) and a decrease in the perceived risk of cannabis use, it is imperative to assess the addictive potential of cannabis. Here we evaluate cannabis use through the neurobiological model of addiction proposed by Koob and Volkow. The model proposes that repeated substance abuse drives neurobiological changes in the brain that can be separated into three distinct stages, each of which perpetuates the cycle of addiction. Here we review previous research on the acute and long-term effects of cannabis use on the brain and behavior, and find that the three-stage framework of addiction applies to CUD in a manner similar to other drugs of abuse, albeit with some slight differences. These findings highlight the urgent need to conduct research that elucidates specific neurobiological changes associated with CUD in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amna Zehra
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jamie Burns
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Christopher Kure Liu
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Peter Manza
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Corinde E Wiers
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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Prashad S, Dedrick ES, To WT, Vanneste S, Filbey FM. Testing the role of the posterior cingulate cortex in processing salient stimuli in cannabis users: an rTMS study. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2357-2369. [PMID: 30290037 PMCID: PMC6767056 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and precuneus are hubs in the default mode network and play a role in processing external salient stimuli. Accordingly, activation in these regions has been associated with response to salient stimuli using drug cue‐reactivity paradigms in substance using populations. These studies suggest that the PCC and precuneus may underlie deficits in processing salient stimuli that contribute toward the development of substance use disorders. The goal of this study was to directly test this hypothesis using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Using a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled design, we used rTMS to target the PCC and precuneus with a double‐cone coil at 10 Hz (high frequency) and 1 Hz (low frequency) in 10 adult cannabis users and 10 age‐ and sex‐matched non‐using controls. Electroencephalography data were collected before and after rTMS during a modified oddball paradigm with neutral, oddball, self‐relevant, and cannabis‐related stimuli. Cannabis users exhibited increased amplitude in P3 and faster latencies in the P3, N2, and P2 components in response to self‐relevant stimuli compared to controls during baseline that normalized after rTMS. These results suggest that cannabis users exhibited heightened salience to external self‐relevant stimuli that were modulated after rTMS. PCC dysfunction in cannabis users may be related to abnormalities in processing salient stimuli, such those during cue‐reactivity, and provides a potential target for cannabis use disorder intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shikha Prashad
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Dedrick
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Wing Ting To
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX, 75235, USA
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Zhou F, Zimmermann K, Xin F, Scheele D, Dau W, Banger M, Weber B, Hurlemann R, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Shifted balance of dorsal versus ventral striatal communication with frontal reward and regulatory regions in cannabis-dependent males. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:5062-5073. [PMID: 30277629 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition from voluntary to addictive behavior is characterized by a loss of regulatory control in favor of reward driven behavior. Animal models indicate that this process is neurally underpinned by a shift in ventral-dorsal striatal control of behavior; however, this shift has not been directly examined in humans. The present resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study employed a two-step approach to: (a) precisely map striatal alterations using a novel, data-driven network classification strategy combining intrinsic connectivity contrast with multivoxel pattern analysis and, (b) to determine whether a ventral to dorsal striatal shift in connectivity with reward and regulatory control regions can be observed in abstinent (28 days) male cannabis-dependent individuals (n = 24) relative to matched controls (n = 28). Network classification revealed that the groups can be reliably discriminated by global connectivity profiles of two striatal regions that mapped onto the ventral (nucleus accumbens) and dorsal striatum (caudate). Subsequent functional connectivity analysis demonstrated a relative shift between ventral and dorsal striatal communication with fronto-limbic regions that have been consistently involved in reward processing (rostral anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]) and executive/regulatory functions (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex [PFC]). Specifically, in the cannabis-dependent subjects, connectivity between the ventral striatum with the rostral ACC increased, whereas both striatal regions were uncoupled from the regulatory dorsomedial PFC. Together, these findings suggest a shift in the balance between dorsal and ventral striatal control in cannabis dependence. Similar changes have been observed in animal models and may promote the loss of control central to addictive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Kaeli Zimmermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Fei Xin
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Dau
- Department of Addiction and Psychotherapy, LVR-Clinic Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Markus Banger
- Department of Addiction and Psychotherapy, LVR-Clinic Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Neurocognition, Life & Brain Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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48
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Pacheco-Colón I, Limia JM, Gonzalez R. Nonacute effects of cannabis use on motivation and reward sensitivity in humans: A systematic review. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2018; 32:497-507. [PMID: 29963875 PMCID: PMC6062456 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Reduced motivation is often noted as a consequence of cannabis use. However, prior studies examining this association have suboptimally operationalized motivation and have yielded mixed findings. This review discusses motivation and the closely related construct of reward sensitivity. We summarize the available literature examining associations between motivation and cannabis use, addressing the following questions: (a) Is there evidence for decreased motivation among cannabis users? (b) Is there evidence that lack of motivation among cannabis users is specific to their use of cannabis (rather than to use of other addictive drugs)? and (c) Is there evidence suggesting a causal relationship between cannabis use and motivation? Using PubMed, PsycINFO, and WebofScience, we conducted a literature search of studies examining nonacute effects of cannabis use on motivation, apathy, amotivation, effort, and reward sensitivity in humans. This search yielded 22 studies, which were reviewed in detail. We conclude that, although cross-sectional evidence of a cannabis-specific effect on motivation is equivocal, there is partial support from longitudinal studies for a causal link between cannabis use and reduced motivation. Additionally, we propose that reward sensitivity and motivation represent distinct yet related constructs and that reductions in one may not always lead to reductions in the other. Future work should longitudinally examine associations between cannabis use, motivation, and reward sensitivity; carefully define and operationalize these constructs; and control for the influence of potential confounding factors. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge M Limia
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University
| | - Raul Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University
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Pacheco-Colón I, Coxe S, Musser ED, Duperrouzel JC, Ross JM, Gonzalez R. Is Cannabis Use Associated with Various Indices of Motivation among Adolescents? Subst Use Misuse 2018; 53:1158-1169. [PMID: 29272172 PMCID: PMC6175605 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2017.1400566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Decreased motivation is often noted as a consequence of cannabis use (CU). Previous work has yielded mixed findings, relied mostly on adult samples, and varied to the extent that it accounted for potential confounds. This study examines associations between CU and several motivation indices among adolescents. We hypothesized that regular cannabis users would report lower motivation than light users, and that greater lifetime and past 30-day CU amounts would be associated with decreased motivation. Participants were 79 adolescents, ages 14-18, classified as recent regular cannabis users (n = 36) or light users (n = 43). Frequency and amount of substance use were assessed across participants' lifetime and during the past 30 days. Motivation was measured through the Apathy Evaluation Scale and Motivation and Engagement Scale. To examine associations between CU and our motivation indices, we conducted a series of two-step hierarchical multiple regressions. Variables found to correlate with any motivation measure were entered on step 1 (e.g., mental health, other substance use) and the relevant CU variable was entered on step 2. After controlling for confounds, no significant differences were observed between regular and light users on any motivation index, p > .01. Similarly, no associations between motivation and lifetime or past 30-day CU amount were observed, p > .01. Our findings do not support a link between reduced motivation and CU among adolescents after controlling for relevant confounds. Future studies will examine the levels of CU which influence motivation in adolescents, and the conditions under which this link becomes manifest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana Pacheco-Colón
- a Department of Psychology , Florida International University , Miami , Florida , USA
| | - Stefany Coxe
- a Department of Psychology , Florida International University , Miami , Florida , USA
| | - Erica D Musser
- a Department of Psychology , Florida International University , Miami , Florida , USA
| | | | - J Megan Ross
- a Department of Psychology , Florida International University , Miami , Florida , USA
| | - Raul Gonzalez
- a Department of Psychology , Florida International University , Miami , Florida , USA
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50
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Early Cannabis Use and Neurocognitive Risk: A Prospective Functional Neuroimaging Study. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 3:713-725. [PMID: 30033100 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retrospective neuroimaging studies have suggested an association between early cannabis onset and later neurocognitive impairment. However, these studies have been limited in their ability to distinguish substance use risk factors from cannabis-induced effects on neurocognition. We used a prospective cohort design to test whether neurocognitive differences preceded cannabis onset (substance use risk model) and if early cannabis use was associated with poorer neurocognitive development (cannabis exposure model). METHODS Participants (N = 85) completed a visuospatial working memory task during functional magnetic resonance imaging and multiple cognitive assessments (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV, Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery) at 12 years of age, before any reported cannabis use (baseline), and at 15 years of age (follow-up: N = 85 cognitive assessments, n = 67 neuroimaging). By follow-up, 22 participants reported using cannabis and/or failed a Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol urine screen (users). RESULTS At baseline, group differences supported a risk model. Those who would initiate cannabis use by 15 years of age had activation differences in frontoparietal (increased) and visual association (decreased) regions and poorer executive planning scores (Stockings of Cambridge) compared with noninitiators. Limited support was found for a cannabis exposure model. At follow-up, activation in the cuneus displayed a significant cannabis dose-response relationship, although neither cannabis dose nor cuneus activation was associated with cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS The purported neurocognitive effects of early cannabis onset may not be due to cannabis initiation alone but also driven by limitations or late development of neurocognitive systems predictive of substance use. In addition, more prolonged cannabis exposure may be required to observe the cognitive effects of early cannabis onset.
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