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Wade NE, Courtney KE, Wallace AL, Hatz L, Jacobus J. Investigating sex differences and age of onset in emotion regulation, executive functioning, and cannabis use in adolescents and young adults. J Cannabis Res 2024; 6:20. [PMID: 38671541 PMCID: PMC11046960 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-024-00225-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Young adults have historically high levels of cannabis use at a time which coincides with emotional and cognitive development. Age of regular onset of cannabis use and sex at birth are hypothesized to influence the relationship between cannabis use and cognition. Here we investigated past 6-month cannabis use in relation to emotional and executive functioning. We further considered age of onset and sex in subgroup analyses. METHOD Young adults (N = 225; ages 16-22) completed a substance use interview and cognitive battery, including the Emotional Word-Emotional Face Stroop and NIH toolbox executive functioning tasks. Linear regressions examined relationships between past 6-month cannabis use episodes and performance. Subgroup analyses investigated whether age of onset or sex impacted relationships. RESULTS After correcting for multiple comparisons, greater past 6-month cannabis use episodes were related to poorer Emotional Stroop Congruent Accuracy (p = .0004, FDR-p = .002) and List Sorting Working Memory (p = .02, FDR-p = .10) performance. Younger age of regular use onset marginally related to lower Emotional Stroop Congruent Accuracy performance (p = .03, FDR-p = .13). There were no cannabis use by sex interactions on cognition. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with prior findings, results suggest small reductions in cannabis-related performance in processing speed during emotional Stroop and working memory tasks. Age of onset was modestly related to Stroop performance, but not sex. Longitudinal studies which detail patterns of cannabis and other substance use are needed to better assess brain-behavior relationships and other factors (e.g., age of onset of regular use, sex) which could influence cannabis-related impairments in cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha E Wade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kelly E Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Alexander L Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Laura Hatz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Davis CN, Gex KS, Squeglia LM, Trull TJ, McCarthy DM, Baker NL, Gray KM, McRae-Clark AL, Tomko RL. Development and Initial Validation of a Momentary Cannabis Craving Scale Within a Homogeneous Sample of U.S. Emerging Adults. Assessment 2024:10731911241237055. [PMID: 38515003 DOI: 10.1177/10731911241237055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Given the popularity and ease of single-item craving assessments, we developed a multi-item measure and compared it to common single-item assessments in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) context. Two weeks of EMA data were collected from 48 emerging adults (56.25% female, 85.42% White) who frequently used cannabis. Eight craving items were administered, and multilevel factor analyses were used to identify the best fitting model. The resulting scale's factors represented purposefulness/general desire and emotionality/negative affect craving. Convergent validity was examined using measures of craving, cannabis use disorder symptoms, frequency of use, cannabis cue reactivity, cannabis use, negative affect, and impulsivity. The scale factors were associated with cue-reactivity craving, negative affect, impulsivity, and subfactors of existing craving measures. For researchers interested in using a single item to capture craving, one item performed particularly well. However, the new scale may provide a more nuanced assessment of mechanisms underlying craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christal N Davis
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Kathryn S Gex
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Kevin M Gray
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
| | - Aimee L McRae-Clark
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
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Tenekedjieva LT, McCalley DM, Goldstein-Piekarski AN, Williams LM, Padula CB. Transdiagnostic Mood, Anxiety, and Trauma Symptom Factors in Alcohol Use Disorder: Neural Correlates Across 3 Brain Networks. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00064-8. [PMID: 38432622 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with high rates of trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders. Across these diagnoses, individual symptoms substantially overlap, highlighting the need for a transdiagnostic approach. Furthermore, there is limited research on how transdiagnostic psychopathology impacts the neural correlates of AUD. Thus, we aimed to identify symptom factors spanning diagnoses and examine how they relate to the neurocircuitry of addiction. METHODS Eighty-six veterans with AUD completed self-report measures and reward, incentive salience, and cognitive control functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks. Factor analysis was performed on self-reported trauma, depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms to obtain transdiagnostic symptom compositions. Neural correlates of a priori-defined regions of interest in the 3 networks were assessed. Independent sample t tests were used to compare the same nodes by DSM-5 diagnosis. RESULTS Four symptom factors were identified: Trauma distress, Negative affect, Hyperarousal, and Somatic anxiety. Trauma distress score was associated with increased cognitive control activity during response inhibition (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex). Negative affect was related to lower activation in reward regions (right caudate) but higher activation in cognitive control regions during response inhibition (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Hyperarousal was related to lower reward activity during monetary reward anticipation (left caudate, right caudate). Somatic anxiety was not significantly associated with brain activation. No difference in neural activity was found by posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS These hypothesis-generating findings offer transdiagnostic symptom factors that are differentially associated with neural function and could guide us toward a brain-based classification of psychiatric dysfunction in AUD. Results warrant further investigation of transdiagnostic approaches in addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea-Tereza Tenekedjieva
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.
| | - Daniel M McCalley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
| | - Andrea N Goldstein-Piekarski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
| | - Claudia B Padula
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
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Courtney KE, Baca R, Thompson C, Andrade G, Doran N, Jacobson A, Liu TT, Jacobus J. The effects of nicotine use during adolescence and young adulthood on gray matter cerebral blood flow estimates. Brain Imaging Behav 2024; 18:34-43. [PMID: 37851272 PMCID: PMC10844445 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-023-00810-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) use remains prevalent in adolescence/young adulthood. The effects of NTPs on markers of brain health during this vulnerable neurodevelopmental period remain largely unknown. This report investigates associations between NTP use and gray matter cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adolescents/young adults. Adolescent/young adult (16-22 years-old) nicotine users (NTP; N = 99; 40 women) and non-users (non-NTP; N = 95; 56 women) underwent neuroimaging sessions including anatomical and optimized pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling scans. Groups were compared on whole-brain gray matter CBF estimates and their relation to age and sex at birth. Follow-up analyses assessed correlations between identified CBF clusters and NTP recency and dependence measures. Controlling for age and sex, the NTP vs. non-NTP contrast revealed a single cluster that survived thresholding which included portions of bilateral precuneus (voxel-wise alpha < 0.001, cluster-wise alpha < 0.05; ≥7 contiguous voxels). An interaction between NTP group contrast and age was observed in two clusters including regions of the left posterior cingulate (PCC)/lingual gyrus and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC): non-NTP exhibited positive correlations between CBF and age in these clusters, whereas NTP exhibited negative correlations between CBF and age. Lower CBF from these three clusters correlated with urine cotinine (rs=-0.21 - - 0.16; ps < 0.04) and nicotine dependence severity (rs=-0.16 - - 0.13; ps < 0.07). This is the first investigation of gray matter CBF in adolescent/young adult users of NTPs. The results are consistent with literature on adults showing age- and nicotine-related declines in CBF and identify the precuneus/PCC and ACC as potential key regions subserving the development of nicotine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Rachel Baca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Courtney Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Gianna Andrade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Neal Doran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Jacobson
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Thomas T Liu
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Hatz LE, Courtney KE, Wade NE, Thompson C, Baca R, Andrade G, Doran N, Jacobus J. First Used Nicotine/Cannabis Product and Associated Outcomes in Late Adolescents. Subst Use Misuse 2024; 59:699-706. [PMID: 38170177 PMCID: PMC10923017 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2294975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) and cannabis use are common in adolescence/young adulthood and increase risk for negative psychosocial outcomes. This study investigated associations among adolescent/young adults' initial experiences with NTPs, lifetime frequency of substance use, substance-related problems, and mental health symptoms. METHOD Adolescents and young adults enrolled in a study on NTP and cannabis use were asked at what age they initiated the use of NTPs and were assigned to groups based on which product or substance(s) they reported using at the earliest age. Participants who reported use of NTPs (in isolation, without cannabis) first (N = 78, "NTP-only"), simultaneous use of NTPs and cannabis first (e.g., blunt or bowl; N = 25, "Simult-only"), use of both NTPs in isolation and simultaneous use at the same age (N = 48, "NTP + Simult"), and no NTP use (N = 53, "NTP-naïve") were compared on substance use, substance-related problems, and mental health symptoms. RESULTS Groups differed on lifetime frequency of NTP, simultaneous, and cannabis use, with NTP users reporting more substance use episodes and substance-related problems than the NTP-naïve group. The lifetime frequency of cannabis use did not differ across NTP use groups. NTP use was associated with increased anxiety and depression, with no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS Adolescents and young adults who use nicotine may be at increased risk for greater nicotine use and mental health consequences, but initiating NTP use simultaneously with cannabis may not increase the risk of negative outcomes above and beyond nicotine initiation. Prospective longitudinal research is needed to establish temporal associations between first-used NTP/cannabis products and relevant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Hatz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kelly E. Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Natasha E. Wade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Courtney Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Baca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gianna Andrade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Neal Doran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Miller BP, Aston ER, Davis W, Berey BL, Dowd AN, Amlung M. Examining the effect of cannabis cues on cannabis demand in sleep, driving, and typical drug-use contexts. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 254:111057. [PMID: 38101283 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111057] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Given the expanding legal cannabis market in the U.S., it is vital to understand how context impacts cannabis use. Therefore, we explored the effect of cannabis cues and cannabis-use context on cannabis demand in 79 adults who reported smoking cannabis at least weekly. METHODS Participants completed a single laboratory session consisting of four hypothetical marijuana purchase tasks (MPTs) involving either a typical use situation or a driving or sleep context. The MPTs were alternated with exposure to cannabis or neutral picture cues based on block randomization by gender. RESULTS Cannabis cues increased self-reported craving for cannabis (p =.044) but did not significantly alter demand (ps =0.093-0.845). In the driving context, participants demonstrated a significant reduction in cannabis demand, indicated by lower intensity (p <0.001), Omax (p <0.001), and Pmax (p <0.001), breakpoint (p =.003), and higher α (p <0.001). The sleep context was associated with significantly greater α (p <0.006) but nonsignificant effects for other indices (ps =0.123-0.707). Finally, cannabis cues increased Omax (p =.013) and breakpoint (p =.035) in the sleep context but not in the typical-use context. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that cannabis-use behavior is sensitive to contingencies surrounding driving after cannabis use and may also be sensitive to sleep contexts in the presence of cannabis cues. Since this is the first study to examine driving and sleep contexts, we caution against drawing broad conclusions until future research is conducted to replicate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon P Miller
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, USA.
| | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, USA
| | - William Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Benjamin L Berey
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, USA; Providence VA Medical Center, USA
| | - Ashley N Dowd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Michael Amlung
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, USA; Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, USA
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Sahlem GL, Kim B, Baker NL, Wong BL, Caruso MA, Campbell LA, Kaloani I, Sherman BJ, Ford TJ, Musleh AH, Kim JP, Williams NR, Manett AJ, Kratter IH, Short EB, Killeen TK, George MS, McRae-Clark AL. A preliminary randomized controlled trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in treatment seeking participants with cannabis use disorder. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 254:111035. [PMID: 38043228 PMCID: PMC10837319 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a common and consequential disorder. When applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) reduces craving across substance use disorders and may have therapeutic clinical effects when applied in serial-sessions. The present study sought to preliminarily determine whether serial-sessions of rTMS applied to the DLPFC had a therapeutic effect in CUD. METHODS This study was a two-site, phase-2, double-blind, randomized-controlled-trial. Seventy-two treatment-seeking participants (37.5% Women, mean age 30.2±9.9SD) with ≥moderate-CUD were randomized to active or sham rTMS (Beam-F3, 10Hz, 20-total-sessions, two-sessions-per-visit, two-visits-per-week, with cannabis cues) while undergoing a three-session motivational enhancement therapy intervention. The primary outcome was the change in craving between pre- and post- treatment (Marijuana Craving Questionnaire Short-Form-MCQ-SF). Secondary outcomes included the number of weeks of abstinence and the number of days-per-week of cannabis use during 4-weeks of follow-up. RESULTS There were no significant differences in craving between conditions. Participants who received active-rTMS reported numerically, but not significantly, more weeks of abstinence in the follow-up period than those who received sham-rTMS (15.5%-Active; 9.3%-Sham; rate ratio = 1.66 [95% CI: 0.84, 3.28]; p=0.14). Participants who received active-rTMS reported fewer days-per-week of cannabis use over the final two-weeks of the follow-up period than those receiving sham-rTMS (Active vs. Sham: -0.72; Z=-2.33, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS This trial suggests rTMS is safe and feasible in individuals with CUD and may have a therapeutic effect on frequency of cannabis use, though further study is needed with additional rTMS-sessions and a longer follow-up period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory L Sahlem
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
| | - Bohye Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nathaniel L Baker
- Departments of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Brendan L Wong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Margaret A Caruso
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lauren A Campbell
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Irakli Kaloani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Brian J Sherman
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Tiffany J Ford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Ahmad H Musleh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Jane P Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nolan R Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Andrew J Manett
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Ian H Kratter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Edward B Short
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Terese K Killeen
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Mark S George
- Departments of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Aimee L McRae-Clark
- Departments of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
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Wycoff AM, Rogers K, Parlette B, Miranda R, Padovano HT. Cannabis craving in response to alcohol cues in the laboratory and in daily life among adolescents ages 15-17 years. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:2366-2374. [PMID: 38151781 PMCID: PMC10756637 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most adolescents who drink alcohol also use cannabis, and adolescents who use both substances experience worse long-term outcomes than adolescents who use only one or the other. Recent clinical trials with adolescents and emerging adults show that alcohol cues are associated with elevated cannabis craving in the natural environment but not in the laboratory, highlighting cross-cue reactivity as a potential intervention target. This study extends this work to a younger sample of adolescents at an earlier stage of substance use to examine the generalizability of prior findings and inform etiological mechanisms. METHODS Participants were 81 adolescents aged 15-17 years who endorsed past-month alcohol and lifetime cannabis use. They completed a laboratory cue reactivity protocol where they rated their cannabis craving during alcohol cue and control conditions. They also completed 24 days of ecological momentary assessment where they reported multiple times per day on their cannabis craving and whether alcohol cues were visible. RESULTS Mixed models demonstrated lower cannabis craving following alcohol cue presentation in the laboratory compared to control cues, but higher cannabis craving during moments when alcohol was visible in daily life compared to moments when alcohol was not visible. Frequency of cannabis use at baseline was associated with greater cannabis craving in the laboratory and in daily life regardless of cue type or alcohol visibility, and cannabis craving following alcohol cue presentation in the laboratory was positively related to daily life cannabis craving across contexts. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to prior work suggesting that daily life cannabis craving is elevated when alcohol cues are visible. This cross-cue reactivity may be one factor that drives and maintains alcohol and cannabis use in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M. Wycoff
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912
| | - Kristin Rogers
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912
| | - Brianna Parlette
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912
| | - Robert Miranda
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02906
| | - Hayley Treloar Padovano
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02906
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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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Gex KS, Gray KM, Davis CN, Squeglia LM, McRae-Clark AL, Saladin ME, Tomko RL. Sex differences in the relationship between cannabis use motives and cannabis craving in daily life in emerging adults. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2023; 37:809-822. [PMID: 37471012 PMCID: PMC10528470 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cannabis use motives and craving are associated with increased risk for cannabis-related problems and are ideal targets for prevention and early intervention. Patterns of motives and craving reactivity to cannabis cues differ by sex; however, few studies closely examine the relationship between motives and craving and how it may differ by valence (±) across men and women. METHOD The present study used Cue Reactivity Ecological Momentary Assessment to assess reward (+) and relief (-) craving four semirandom times per day for 2 weeks in a sample of 63 emerging adults (age 18-21; 54% cisgender women; 85.7% White) who frequently use cannabis (≥ 3 times per week). We assessed craving before and after exposure to brief neutral or cannabis image cues and examined within- and between-participant effects of cue type, motives, sex/gender, and their interactions, on postcue cannabis craving. RESULTS Regardless of cue type, women with high coping motives (-) reported less postcue relief (-) craving, and men with high enhancement motives (+) reported more postcue reward (+) craving. High enhancement motives (+), regardless of sex/gender, were associated with elevated relief (-) craving reactivity to cannabis cues, and women with high coping motives (-) reported elevated reward (+) craving reactivity to cannabis cues. CONCLUSIONS Sex/gender differences in the relationships between cannabis motives and craving reactivity indicate the value of a more targeted examination of valence (±) of craving experiences in addition to motives for use. Higher levels of precision may better inform interventions for emerging adults at risk for experiencing cannabis-related problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S Gex
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Kevin M Gray
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Christal N Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Lindsay M Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Aimee L McRae-Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Michael E Saladin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Rachel L Tomko
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina
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11
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Sahlem GL, Kim B, Baker NL, Wong BL, Caruso MA, Campbell LA, Kaloani I, Sherman BJ, Ford TJ, Musleh AH, Kim JP, Williams NR, Manett AJ, Kratter IH, Short EB, Killeen TK, George MS, McRae-Clark AL. A Preliminary Investigation Of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Applied To The Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex In Treatment Seeking Participants With Cannabis Use Disorder. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.07.10.23292461. [PMID: 37503294 PMCID: PMC10370231 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.10.23292461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a common and consequential disorder. When applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) reduces craving across substance use disorders and may have a therapeutic clinical effect when applied in serial sessions. The present study sought to preliminarily determine whether serial sessions of rTMS applied to the DLPFC had a therapeutic effect in CUD. Methods This study was a two-site, phase-2, double-blind, randomized-controlled-trial. Seventy-two treatment-seeking participants (37.5% Women, mean age 30.2±9.9SD) with ≥moderate-CUD were randomized to active or sham rTMS (Beam-F3, 10Hz, 20-total-sessions, with cannabis cues) while undergoing a three-session motivational enhancement therapy intervention. The primary outcome was the change in craving between pre- and post-treatment (Marijuana Craving Questionnaire Short-Form-MCQ-SF). Secondary outcomes included the number of weeks of abstinence and the number of days-per-week of cannabis use during 4-weeks of follow-up. Results There were no significant differences in craving between conditions. Participants who received active rTMS reported numerically, but not significantly, more weeks of abstinence in the follow-up period than those who received sham rTMS (15.5%-Active; 9.3%-Sham; rate ratio = 1.66 [95% CI: 0.84, 3.28]; p=0.14). Participants who received active rTMS reported fewer days-per-week of cannabis use over the final two-weeks of the follow-up period (Active vs. Sham: -0.72; Z=-2.33, p=0.02). Conclusions This trial suggests rTMS is safe and feasible in individuals with CUD and may have a therapeutic effect on frequency of cannabis use, though further study is needed with additional rTMS-sessions and a longer follow-up period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory L. Sahlem
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Bohye Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Nathaniel L. Baker
- Departments of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Brendan L. Wong
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Margaret A. Caruso
- Departments of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren A. Campbell
- Departments of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Irakli Kaloani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Brian J. Sherman
- Departments of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Tiffany J. Ford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Ahmad H. Musleh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Jane P. Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Nolan R. Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Andrew J. Manett
- Departments of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Ian H. Kratter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Edward B. Short
- Departments of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Terese K. Killeen
- Departments of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Mark S. George
- Departments of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Aimee L. McRae-Clark
- Departments of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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12
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Weyrich L, Arif Y, Schantell M, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Okelberry HJ, Wilson TW. Altered functional connectivity and oscillatory dynamics in polysubstance and cannabis only users during visuospatial processing. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:769-783. [PMID: 36752815 PMCID: PMC10545949 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06318-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Cannabis use is often associated with the use of other psychoactive substances, which is subsequently linked to an increased risk for addiction. While there is a growing body of neuroimaging literature investigating the cognitive effect of long-term cannabis use, very little is known about the potential additive effects of cannabis polysubstance use. METHODS Fifty-six adults composed of 18 polysubstance users (i.e., cannabis plus at least one other illicit substance), 19 cannabis-only users, and 19 nonusers completed a visuospatial attention task while undergoing magnetoencephalography. A data-driven approach was used to identify oscillatory neural responses, which were imaged using a beamforming approach. The resulting cortical regions were probed for group differences and used as seeds for whole-brain connectivity analysis. RESULTS Participants exhibited robust theta, alpha, beta, and gamma responses during visuospatial processing. Statistical analyses indicated that the cannabis-only group had weaker occipital theta relative to the nonusers, and that both polysubstance and cannabis-only users had reduced spontaneous gamma in the occipital cortices during the pre-stimulus baseline period relative to nonusers. Finally, functional connectivity analyses revealed that polysubstance users had sharply reduced beta connectivity between occipital and prefrontal, as well as occipital and left temporal cortices. CONCLUSIONS Cannabis use should be considered in a polysubstance context, as our correlational design suggests differences in functional connectivity among those who reported cannabis-only versus polysubstance use in occipital to prefrontal pathways critical to visuospatial processing and attention function. Future work should distinguish the effect of different polysubstance combinations and use more causal designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Weyrich
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Ln, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA
| | - Yasra Arif
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Ln, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Mikki Schantell
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Ln, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 42nd and Emile Street, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Hallie J Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Ln, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Madelyn P Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Ln, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Hannah J Okelberry
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Ln, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14090 Mother Teresa Ln, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA.
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13
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Distress tolerance and reactivity to negative affective cues in naturalistic environments of cannabis-using emerging adults. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 238:109588. [PMID: 35932750 PMCID: PMC9875670 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Distress tolerance (DT) has been implicated as an important factor in the experience of negative affect (NA) and cannabis craving. However, previous research is limited by its use of laboratory paradigms that may not replicate in naturalistic settings. The current study examined how DT influenced reactivity to NA cues in daily life in a sample of frequent (≥3 times per week) cannabis-using emerging adults (age 18-21). METHODS Using cue-reactivity ecological momentary assessment (CREMA), 63 (54 % female; 85.7 % white; Mage = 19.62) participants reported on their cannabis craving and affect (sadness, relaxation) four semi-random times per day for two weeks (56 possible CREMA sessions/participant). We assessed affect and cannabis craving before and after exposure to neutral and NA cues. Multilevel modeling was used to examine within- and between-participant effects of cues, DT, and sex, as well as within- and between-participant average pre-cue affect and craving, on post-cue affect and craving. RESULTS NA cues consistently predicted higher-than-normal post-cue sadness and lower relaxation, but not greater-than-normal post-cue craving. Cue type interacted with sex and DT to predict post-cue sadness, but not craving. Female participants and those reporting low DT reported higher sadness following NA cues compared to males and those with high DT, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Frequent cannabis-using emerging adults differed in affect, but not cannabis craving, reactivity to NA cues as a function of sex and DT. Our results were partially consistent with prior human laboratory and CREMA research finding greater reactivity to NA cues among females and individuals with low DT.
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14
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Lichenstein SD, Manco N, Cope LM, Egbo L, Garrison KA, Hardee J, Hillmer AT, Reeder K, Stern EF, Worhunsky P, Yip SW. Systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of cannabis use in adolescence and emerging adulthood: evidence from 90 studies and 9441 participants. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1000-1028. [PMID: 34839363 PMCID: PMC8938408 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use peaks in adolescence, and adolescents may be more vulnerable to the neural effects of cannabis and cannabis-related harms due to ongoing brain development during this period. In light of ongoing cannabis policy changes, increased availability, reduced perceptions of harm, heightened interest in medicinal applications of cannabis, and drastic increases in cannabis potency, it is essential to establish an understanding of cannabis effects on the developing adolescent brain. This systematic review aims to: (1) synthesize extant literature on functional and structural neural alterations associated with cannabis use during adolescence and emerging adulthood; (2) identify gaps in the literature that critically impede our ability to accurately assess the effect of cannabis on adolescent brain function and development; and (3) provide recommendations for future research to bridge these gaps and elucidate the mechanisms underlying cannabis-related harms in adolescence and emerging adulthood, with the long-term goal of facilitating the development of improved prevention, early intervention, and treatment approaches targeting adolescent cannabis users (CU). Based on a systematic search of Medline and PsycInfo and other non-systematic sources, we identified 90 studies including 9441 adolescents and emerging adults (n = 3924 CU, n = 5517 non-CU), which provide preliminary evidence for functional and structural alterations in frontoparietal, frontolimbic, frontostriatal, and cerebellar regions among adolescent cannabis users. Larger, more rigorous studies are essential to reconcile divergent results, assess potential moderators of cannabis effects on the developing brain, disentangle risk factors for use from consequences of exposure, and elucidate the extent to which cannabis effects are reversible with abstinence. Guidelines for conducting this work are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nick Manco
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lora M Cope
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Leslie Egbo
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | | | - Jillian Hardee
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ansel T Hillmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristen Reeder
- Department of Internal Medicine, East Carolina University/Vidant Medical Center, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Elisa F Stern
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Patrick Worhunsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sarah W Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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15
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Courtney KE, Sorg S, Baca R, Doran N, Jacobson A, Liu TT, Jacobus J. The Effects of Nicotine and Cannabis Co-Use During Late Adolescence on White Matter Fiber Tract Microstructure. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2022; 83:287-295. [PMID: 35254252 PMCID: PMC8909919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Co-use of cannabis and nicotine and tobacco products (NTPs) in adolescence/young adulthood is common and associated with worse outcomes than the use of either substance in isolation. Despite this, little is known about the unique contributions of co-use to neurostructural microstructure during this neurodevelopmentally important period. This study sought to investigate the interactive effects of nicotine and cannabis co-use on white matter fiber tract microstructure in emerging adulthood. METHOD A total of 111 late adolescent (16-22 years old) nicotine (NTP; n = 55, all past-year cannabis users) and non-nicotine users (non-NTP; n = 56, 61% reporting cannabis use in the past year) completed demographic and clinical interviews and a neuroimaging session comprising anatomical and diffusion-weighted imaging scans. Group connectometry analysis identified white matter tracts significantly associated with the interaction between nicotine group and past-year cannabis use according to generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA). RESULTS Nicotine Group × Cannabis Use interactions were observed in the right and left cingulum and left fornix tracts (false discovery rate = 0.053), where greater cannabis use was associated with increased GFA in the cingulum and left fornix, but only when co-used with nicotine. CONCLUSIONS This report represents the first group connectometry analysis in late adolescent/young adult cannabis and/or NTP users. Results suggest that co-use of cannabis and NTPs results in a structurally distinct white matter phenotype as compared with cannabis use only, although to what extent this may change over time with more chronic nicotine and cannabis use remains to be examined in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E. Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Scott Sorg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California,Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
| | - Rachel Baca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Neal Doran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California,Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
| | - Aaron Jacobson
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Thomas T. Liu
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California,Correspondence may be sent to Joanna Jacobus at the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA 92093, or via email at:
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16
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Ekhtiari H, Zare-Bidoky M, Sangchooli A, Janes AC, Kaufman MJ, Oliver JA, Prisciandaro JJ, Wüstenberg T, Anton RF, Bach P, Baldacchino A, Beck A, Bjork JM, Brewer J, Childress AR, Claus ED, Courtney KE, Ebrahimi M, Filbey FM, Ghahremani DG, Azbari PG, Goldstein RZ, Goudriaan AE, Grodin EN, Hamilton JP, Hanlon CA, Hassani-Abharian P, Heinz A, Joseph JE, Kiefer F, Zonoozi AK, Kober H, Kuplicki R, Li Q, London ED, McClernon J, Noori HR, Owens MM, Paulus MP, Perini I, Potenza M, Potvin S, Ray L, Schacht JP, Seo D, Sinha R, Smolka MN, Spanagel R, Steele VR, Stein EA, Steins-Loeber S, Tapert SF, Verdejo-Garcia A, Vollstädt-Klein S, Wetherill RR, Wilson SJ, Witkiewitz K, Yuan K, Zhang X, Zilverstand A. A methodological checklist for fMRI drug cue reactivity studies: development and expert consensus. Nat Protoc 2022; 17:567-595. [PMID: 35121856 PMCID: PMC9063851 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00649-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cue reactivity is one of the most frequently used paradigms in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of substance use disorders (SUDs). Although there have been promising results elucidating the neurocognitive mechanisms of SUDs and SUD treatments, the interpretability and reproducibility of these studies is limited by incomplete reporting of participants' characteristics, task design, craving assessment, scanning preparation and analysis decisions in fMRI drug cue reactivity (FDCR) experiments. This hampers clinical translation, not least because systematic review and meta-analysis of published work are difficult. This consensus paper and Delphi study aims to outline the important methodological aspects of FDCR research, present structured recommendations for more comprehensive methods reporting and review the FDCR literature to assess the reporting of items that are deemed important. Forty-five FDCR scientists from around the world participated in this study. First, an initial checklist of items deemed important in FDCR studies was developed by several members of the Enhanced NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analyses (ENIGMA) Addiction working group on the basis of a systematic review. Using a modified Delphi consensus method, all experts were asked to comment on, revise or add items to the initial checklist, and then to rate the importance of each item in subsequent rounds. The reporting status of the items in the final checklist was investigated in 108 recently published FDCR studies identified through a systematic review. By the final round, 38 items reached the consensus threshold and were classified under seven major categories: 'Participants' Characteristics', 'General fMRI Information', 'General Task Information', 'Cue Information', 'Craving Assessment Inside Scanner', 'Craving Assessment Outside Scanner' and 'Pre- and Post-Scanning Considerations'. The review of the 108 FDCR papers revealed significant gaps in the reporting of the items considered important by the experts. For instance, whereas items in the 'General fMRI Information' category were reported in 90.5% of the reviewed papers, items in the 'Pre- and Post-Scanning Considerations' category were reported by only 44.7% of reviewed FDCR studies. Considering the notable and sometimes unexpected gaps in the reporting of items deemed to be important by experts in any FDCR study, the protocols could benefit from the adoption of reporting standards. This checklist, a living document to be updated as the field and its methods advance, can help improve experimental design, reporting and the widespread understanding of the FDCR protocols. This checklist can also provide a sample for developing consensus statements for protocols in other areas of task-based fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Ekhtiari
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Mehran Zare-Bidoky
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Shahid-Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,These authors contributed equally: Mehran Zare-Bidoky, Arshiya Sangchooli
| | - Arshiya Sangchooli
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,These authors contributed equally: Mehran Zare-Bidoky, Arshiya Sangchooli
| | - Amy C. Janes
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Marc J. Kaufman
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Jason A. Oliver
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - James J. Prisciandaro
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Torsten Wüstenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Raymond F. Anton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Alex Baldacchino
- Division of Population Studies and Behavioural Sciences, St Andrews University Medical School, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Anne Beck
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Faculty of Health, Health and Medical University, Campus Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - James M. Bjork
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Judson Brewer
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Anna Rose Childress
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eric D. Claus
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kelly E. Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mohsen Ebrahimi
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Francesca M. Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Dara G. Ghahremani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peyman Ghobadi Azbari
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rita Z. Goldstein
- Departments of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna E. Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - J. Paul Hamilton
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Colleen A. Hanlon
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité Campus Mitte, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jane E. Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arash Khojasteh Zonoozi
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hedy Kober
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Qiang Li
- Department of Radiology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Edythe D. London
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph McClernon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hamid R. Noori
- International Center for Primate Brain Research, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT)/Institute of Neuroscience (ION), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Max M. Owens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | | | - Irene Perini
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Marc Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Connecticut Mental Health Center, New Haven, CT, USA.,Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, Wethersfield, CT, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Child Study Center and Wu Tsai Institute, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stéphane Potvin
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Lara Ray
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Dongju Seo
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Vaughn R. Steele
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sabine Steins-Loeber
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Susan F. Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Reagan R. Wetherill
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen J. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Katie Witkiewitz
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Kai Yuan
- School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiaochu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China.,Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui, China
| | - Anna Zilverstand
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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17
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Courtney KE, Sorg S, Baca R, Doran N, Jacobson A, Liu TT, Jacobus J. The Effects of Nicotine and Cannabis Co-Use During Late Adolescence on White Matter Fiber Tract Microstructure. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2022; 83:287-295. [PMID: 35254252 PMCID: PMC8909919 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2022.83.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Co-use of cannabis and nicotine and tobacco products (NTPs) in adolescence/young adulthood is common and associated with worse outcomes than the use of either substance in isolation. Despite this, little is known about the unique contributions of co-use to neurostructural microstructure during this neurodevelopmentally important period. This study sought to investigate the interactive effects of nicotine and cannabis co-use on white matter fiber tract microstructure in emerging adulthood. METHOD A total of 111 late adolescent (16-22 years old) nicotine (NTP; n = 55, all past-year cannabis users) and non-nicotine users (non-NTP; n = 56, 61% reporting cannabis use in the past year) completed demographic and clinical interviews and a neuroimaging session comprising anatomical and diffusion-weighted imaging scans. Group connectometry analysis identified white matter tracts significantly associated with the interaction between nicotine group and past-year cannabis use according to generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA). RESULTS Nicotine Group × Cannabis Use interactions were observed in the right and left cingulum and left fornix tracts (false discovery rate = 0.053), where greater cannabis use was associated with increased GFA in the cingulum and left fornix, but only when co-used with nicotine. CONCLUSIONS This report represents the first group connectometry analysis in late adolescent/young adult cannabis and/or NTP users. Results suggest that co-use of cannabis and NTPs results in a structurally distinct white matter phenotype as compared with cannabis use only, although to what extent this may change over time with more chronic nicotine and cannabis use remains to be examined in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E. Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Scott Sorg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
| | - Rachel Baca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Neal Doran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
| | - Aaron Jacobson
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Thomas T. Liu
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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18
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Hirjak D, Schmitgen MM, Werler F, Wittemann M, Kubera KM, Wolf ND, Sambataro F, Calhoun VD, Reith W, Wolf RC. Multimodal MRI data fusion reveals distinct structural, functional and neurochemical correlates of heavy cannabis use. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13113. [PMID: 34808703 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Heavy cannabis use (HCU) is frequently associated with a plethora of cognitive, psychopathological and sensorimotor phenomena. Although HCU is frequent, specific patterns of abnormal brain structure and function underlying HCU in individuals presenting without cannabis-use disorder or other current and life-time major mental disorders are unclear at present. This multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study examined resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and structural MRI (sMRI) data from 24 persons with HCU and 16 controls. Parallel independent component analysis (p-ICA) was used to examine covarying components among grey matter volume (GMV) maps computed from sMRI and intrinsic neural activity (INA), as derived from amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) maps computed from rs-fMRI data. Further, we used JuSpace toolbox for cross-modal correlations between MRI-based modalities with nuclear imaging derived estimates, to examine specific neurotransmitter system changes underlying HCU. We identified two transmodal components, which significantly differed between the HCU and controls (GMV: p = 0.01, ALFF p = 0.03, respectively). The GMV component comprised predominantly cerebello-temporo-thalamic regions, whereas the INA component included fronto-parietal regions. Across HCU, loading parameters of both components were significantly associated with distinct HCU behavior. Finally, significant associations between GMV and the serotonergic system as well as between INA and the serotonergic, dopaminergic and μ-opioid receptor system were detected. This study provides novel multimodal neuromechanistic insights into HCU suggesting co-altered structure/function-interactions in neural systems subserving cognitive and sensorimotor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusan Hirjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Mike M. Schmitgen
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial Medicine Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Florian Werler
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial Medicine Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Miriam Wittemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Saarland University Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Katharina M. Kubera
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial Medicine Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Nadine D. Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial Medicine Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neurosciences, Padua Neuroscience Center University of Padua Padua Italy
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology Emory University Atlanta Georgia USA
| | - Wolfgang Reith
- Department of Neuroradiology Saarland University Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial Medicine Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
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19
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Gilbert KM, Elliot AJ, Le BM. Economic status and avoidance motivation: a meta-analysis. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-022-09930-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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20
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Li H, Zhao D, Liu Y, Xv J, Huang H, Jin Y, Lu Y, Qi Y, Zhou Q. Are There Neural Overlaps of Reactivity to Illegal Drugs, Tobacco, and Alcohol Cues? With Evidence From ALE and CMA. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:779239. [PMID: 35463497 PMCID: PMC9019580 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.779239] [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: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abuses of most illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and polydrug, are usually in conjunction with alcohol and tobacco. There are similarities and associations between the behavior, gene, and neurophysiology of such abusers, but the neural overlaps of their cue-reactivity and the correlation of neural overlap with drug craving still needs to be further explored. In this study, an Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) was performed on brain activation under legal (tobacco, alcohol) and illegal drug cues, for identifying the similarities in brain functions between different craving states. A Comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA) on the correlation coefficient between brain activation and craving scores in the selected literatures with subjective craving reports explained the degree of the craving via brain imaging results. In ALE, co-activation areas of the three cue-reactivity (posterior cingulate, caudate, and thalamus) suggest that the three cue-reactivity may all arouse drug-use identity which is a predictor of relapse and generation of conditioned reflexes under reward memory, thus leading to illegal drug relapses. In CMA, the brain activation was significantly correlated with subjective craving, with a correlation coefficient of 0.222. The neural overlap of tobacco, alcohol and most of the prevalent illegal drug cues not only further helps us understand the neural mechanism of substance co-abuse and relapse, but also provides implications to detoxification. Furthermore, the correlation between brain activation and craving is low, suggesting the accuracy of craving-based quantitative evaluation by neuroimaging remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- HuiLing Li
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Dong Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - YuQing Liu
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - JingWen Xv
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - HanZhi Huang
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yutong Jin
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yiying Lu
- Mental Health Education and Counseling Center, Lingnan Normal University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - YuanYuan Qi
- Zhejiang Moganshan Female Drug Detoxification Center, Huzhou, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,The Affiliated Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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21
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Prisciandaro JJ, Mellick W, Squeglia LM, Hix S, Arnold L, Tolliver BK. Results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, multimodal-MRI pilot study of gabapentin for co-occurring bipolar and cannabis use disorders. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13085. [PMID: 34390300 PMCID: PMC9104469 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Disrupted brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/glutamate homeostasis is a promising target for pharmacological intervention in co-occurring bipolar disorder (BD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD). Gabapentin is a safe and well-tolerated medication, FDA-approved to treat other neurological diseases, that restores GABA/glutamate homeostasis, with treatment studies supporting efficacy in treating CUD, as well as anxiety and sleep disorders that are common to both BD and CUD. The present manuscript represents the primary report of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover (1-week/condition), multimodal-MRI (proton-MR spectroscopy, functional MRI) pilot study of gabapentin (1200 mg/day) in BD + CUD (n = 22). Primary analyses revealed that (1) gabapentin was well tolerated and adherence and retention were high, (2) gabapentin increased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and right basal ganglia (rBG) glutamate levels and (3) gabapentin increased activation to visual cannabis cues in the posterior midcingulate cortex (pMCC, a region involved in response inhibition to rewarding stimuli). Exploratory evaluation of clinical outcomes further found that in participants taking gabapentin versus placebo, (1) elevations of dACC GABA levels were associated with lower manic/mixed and depressive symptoms and (2) elevations of rBG glutamate levels and pMCC activation to cannabis cues were associated with lower cannabis use. Though promising, the findings from this study should be interpreted with caution due to observed randomization order effects on dACC glutamate levels and identification of statistical moderators that differed by randomization order (i.e. cigarette-smoking status on rBG glutamate levels and pMCC cue activation). Nonetheless, they provide the necessary foundation for a more robustly designed (urn-randomized, parallel-group) future study of adjuvant gabapentin for BD + CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Prisciandaro
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - William Mellick
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lindsay M Squeglia
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sara Hix
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Arnold
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Bryan K Tolliver
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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22
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Kunas SL, Bermpohl F, Plank IS, Ströhle A, Stuke H. Aversive drug cues reduce cigarette craving and increase prefrontal cortex activation during processing of cigarette cues in quitting motivated smokers. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13091. [PMID: 34427358 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Aversive drug cues can be used to support smoking cessation and create awareness of negative health consequences of smoking. Better understanding of the effects of aversive drug cues on craving and the processing of appetitive drug cues in abstinence motivated smokers is important to further improve their use in cessation therapy and smoking-related public health measures. In this study, 38 quitting motivated smokers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning while performing a novel extended cue-reactivity paradigm. Pictures of cigarettes served as appetitive drug cues, which were preceded by either aversive drug cues (e.g., smokers' leg) or other cues (neutral or alternative reward cues). Participants were instructed to rate their craving for cigarettes after presentation of drug cues. When aversive drug cues preceded the presentation of appetitive drug cues, behavioural craving was reduced and activations in prefrontal (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and paralimbic (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [dACC] and anterior insulae) areas were enhanced. A positive association between behavioural craving reduction and neurofunctional activation changes was shown for the right dACC. Our results suggest that aversive drug cues have an impact on the processing of appetitive drug cues, both on a neurofunctional and a behavioural level. A proposed model states that aversive drug-related cues activate control-associated brain areas (e.g., dACC), leading to increased inhibitory control on reward-associated brain areas (e.g., putamen) and a reduction in subjective cravings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie L. Kunas
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Charité Mitte, Charité‐Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Felix Bermpohl
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Charité Mitte, Charité‐Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Irene S. Plank
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Charité Mitte, Charité‐Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Charité Campus Mitte, Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Institute of Psychology Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Andreas Ströhle
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Charité Mitte, Charité‐Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Heiner Stuke
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Charité Mitte, Charité‐Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin Germany
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23
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Preliminary Evidence for Cannabis and Nicotine Urinary Metabolites as Predictors of Verbal Memory Performance and Learning Among Young Adults. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2021; 27:546-558. [PMID: 34261558 PMCID: PMC8288450 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617721000205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Verbal memory deficits are linked to cannabis use. However, self-reported episodic use does not allow for assessment of variance from other factors (e.g., cannabis potency, route of consumption) that are important for assessing brain-behavior relationships. Further, co-occurring nicotine use may moderate the influence of cannabis on cognition. Here we utilized objective urinary measurements to assess the relationship between metabolites of cannabis, 11-nor-9-carboxy-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH), and nicotine (cotinine) on verbal memory in young adults. METHOD Adolescents and young adults (n = 103) aged 16-22 completed urinary drug testing and verbal memory assessment (RAVLT). Linear regressions examined the influence of THCCOOH and cotinine quantitative concentrations, and their interaction, on RAVLT scores, controlling for demographics and alcohol. Cannabis intake frequency was also investigated. Secondary analyses examined whether past month or recency of use related to performance, while controlling for THCCOOH and cotinine concentrations. RESULTS THCCOOH concentration related to both poorer total learning and long delay recall. Cotinine concentration related to poorer short delay recall. Higher frequency cannabis use status was associated with poorer initial learning and poorer short delay. When comparing to self-report, THCCOOH and cotinine concentrations were negatively related to learning and memory performance, while self-report was not. CONCLUSIONS Results confirm the negative relationship between verbal memory and cannabis use, extending findings with objective urinary THCCOOH, and cotinine concentration measurements. No moderating relationship with nicotine was found, though cotinine concentration independently associated with negative short delay performance. Findings support the use of both urinary and self-report metrics as complementary methods in substance use research.
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24
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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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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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Macatee RJ, Carr M, Afshar K, Preston TJ. Development and validation of a cannabis cue stimulus set. Addict Behav 2021; 112:106643. [PMID: 32977269 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Regular cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) have become increasingly prevalent in the United States over the past two decades. Theory and empirical data suggest that the incentive salience of cannabis cues is important to the development and chronicity of CUD. Cannabis cue incentive salience is often assessed with a cannabis cue reactivity paradigm wherein cannabis-related and neutral images are presented. However, prior cannabis cue reactivity studies have been limited by the use of heterogeneous stimuli that were not properly characterized across motivational/affective characteristics, physical image attributes, or non-cannabis-related salient image features (e.g., human presence, face visibility). In order to increase standardization and flexibility of future cannabis cue reactivity tasks, the aim of the present study was to develop and validate a cannabis cue and matched neutral image database comprised of motivational/affective ratings as well as physical image attributes. 234 regular cannabis users varying in primary use method (i.e., bowl, blunt/joint, bong, vaporizer) made motivational (i.e., urge to smoke cannabis) and affective (i.e., arousal, valence) ratings of cannabis-related and neutral images matched on salient, non-cannabis-related features. Physical features (hue, saturation, value) of each image were also analyzed. Motivational/affective ratings of cannabis-related and neutral images differed as expected, and cannabis use frequency and cannabis craving correlations with cannabis image ratings generally supported stimulus validity. Motivational/affective ratings did not significantly differ across cannabis use method-specific images. This database may be a useful tool for future behavioral and neuroscience research on cannabis cue reactivity.
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27
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Devoto F, Zapparoli L, Spinelli G, Scotti G, Paulesu E. How the harm of drugs and their availability affect brain reactions to drug cues: a meta-analysis of 64 neuroimaging activation studies. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:429. [PMID: 33318467 PMCID: PMC7736294 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01115-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual drug cues are powerful triggers of craving in drug abusers contributing to enduring addiction. According to previous qualitative reviews, the response of the orbitofrontal cortex to such cues is sensitive to whether subjects are seeking treatment. Here we re-evaluate this proposal and assessed whether the nature of the drug matters. To this end, we performed a quantitative meta-analysis of 64 neuroimaging studies on drug-cue reactivity across legal (nicotine, alcohol) or illegal substances (cocaine, heroin). We used the ALE algorithm and a hierarchical clustering analysis followed by a cluster composition statistical analysis to assess the association of brain clusters with the nature of the substance, treatment status, and their interaction. Visual drug cues activate the mesocorticolimbic system and more so in abusers of illegal substances, suggesting that the illegal substances considered induce a deeper sensitization of the reward circuitry. Treatment status had a different modulatory role for legal and illegal substance abusers in anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal areas involved in inter-temporal decision making. The class of the substance and the treatment status are crucial and interacting factors that modulate the neural reactivity to drug cues. The orbitofrontal cortex is not sensitive to the treatment status per se, rather to the interaction of these factors. We discuss that these varying effects might be mediated by internal predispositions such as the intention to quit from drugs and external contingencies such as the daily life environmental availability of the drugs, the ease of getting them and the time frame of potential reward through drug consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Devoto
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology and PhD Program in Neuroscience of the School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - L. Zapparoli
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - G. Spinelli
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - G. Scotti
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - E. Paulesu
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy ,fMRI Unit, IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
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Courtney KE, Baca R, Doran N, Jacobson A, Liu TT, Jacobus J. The effects of nicotine and cannabis co-use during adolescence and young adulthood on white matter cerebral blood flow estimates. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3615-3624. [PMID: 32803367 PMCID: PMC7686080 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05640-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Co-use of cannabis and nicotine is common among adolescents/young adults and is associated with poorer psychological and physical outcomes, compared with single substance use. Little is known about the impact of co-use on the developing brain. OBJECTIVES Preliminary investigation of the effects of nicotine on white matter (WM) cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adolescents/young adults and its potential moderation by cannabis use. METHODS Adolescent/young adult (16-22 years old) nicotine and tobacco product users (NTP; N = 37) and non-nicotine users (non-NTP; N = 26) underwent a neuroimaging session comprised of anatomical, optimized pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling, and diffusion tensor imaging scans. Groups were compared on whole-brain WM CBF estimates and their relation to past-year cannabis use. Follow-up analyses assessed correlations between identified CBF clusters and corresponding fractional anisotropy (FA) values. RESULTS Group by cannabis effects were observed in five clusters (voxel-wise alpha < 0.001, cluster-wise alpha < 0.05; ≥ 11 contiguous voxels): non-NTP exhibited positive correlations between CBF and cannabis use in all clusters, whereas no significant relationships were observed for NTP. Greater CBF extracted from one cluster (including portions of right superior longitudinal fasciculus) was associated with reduced FA for non-NTP group only. CONCLUSIONS This is the first investigation of WM health as indexed by CBF, and its association with FA, in adolescents/young adults with nicotine and/or cannabis use. Results suggest that cannabis use by itself may be related to increased CBF in WM fiber tracts demonstrating poorer structural intergrity, yet the occurrence of even infrequent NTP use (greater than once per month) appears to diminish this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Rachel Baca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Neal Doran
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Jacobson
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Thomas T Liu
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0405, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Do Adolescents Use Substances to Relieve Uncomfortable Sensations? A Preliminary Examination of Negative Reinforcement among Adolescent Cannabis and Alcohol Users. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10040214. [PMID: 32260480 PMCID: PMC7226193 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10040214] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol and cannabis use are highly prevalent among adolescents and associated with negative consequences. Understanding motivations behind substance use in youth is important for informing prevention and intervention efforts. The present study aims to examine negative reinforcement principles of substance use among adolescent cannabis and alcohol users by pairing a cue reactivity paradigm with an aversive interoceptive stimulus. Adolescents (ages 15–17), classified as controls (CTL; n = 18), cannabis and/or alcohol experimenters (CAN+ALC-EXP; n = 16), or individuals meeting clinical criteria for cannabis and/or alcohol use disorder (CAN+ALC-SUD; n = 13) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during which they experienced an aversive interoceptive probe delivered via breathing load while simultaneously performing a cue reactivity paradigm. Participants also provided self-report ratings of how their substance use is positively or negatively reinforced. While experiencing the breathing load, CAN+ALC-SUD exhibited greater (p < 0.05) deactivation in the right amygdala, the left inferior frontal gyrus, and the left parahippocampal gyrus than CAN+ALC-EXP and CTL, who did not differ. Across all substance users, activation during the breathing load within the left parahippocampal gyrus negatively correlated with cannabis and alcohol lifetime use episodes and the left inferior frontal gyrus activity negatively correlated with lifetime alcohol use episodes. CAN+ALC-SUD reported experiencing more positive and negative reinforcement of using their substance of choice than CAN+ALC-EXP; both user groups reported higher levels of positive than negative reinforcement. Adolescents with a cannabis/alcohol use disorder demonstrate an altered response to interoceptive perturbations. However, adolescent cannabis/alcohol use does not appear to be driven by negative reinforcement, as viewing substance images did not dampen this response. Based on self-report data, the experience of positive reinforcement may be stronger for adolescents. Future studies should examine whether positive reinforcement contributes to adolescent substance use.
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Müller-Oehring EM, Le Berre AP, Serventi M, Kalon E, Haas AL, Padula CB, Schulte T. Brain activation to cannabis- and alcohol-related words in alcohol use disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 294:111005. [PMID: 31715379 PMCID: PMC6886708 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.111005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis abuse commonly co-occurs with alcohol use disorder (AUD). With increased acceptance and accessibility to cannabis in the US, it is imperative to understand the psychological and neural mechanisms of concurrent alcohol and cannabis use. We hypothesized that neural alcohol-cue conditioning may extent to other drug-related stimuli, such as cannabis, and underwrite the loss of control over reward-driven behavior. Task-activated fMRI examined the neural correlates of alcohol- and cannabis-related word cues in 21 abstinent AUD and 18 control subjects. Relative to controls, AUD showed behavioral attentional biases and frontal hypoactivation to both alcohol- and cannabis-related words. This cue-elicited prefrontal hypoactivation was related to higher lifetime alcohol consumption (pcorrected < 0.02) and modulated by past cannabis use histories (p ≦ 0.001). In particular, frontal hypoactivation to both alcohol and cannabis cues was pronounced in AUD without prior cannabis exposure. Overall, frontal control mechanisms in abstinent AUD were not sufficiently engaged to override automatic alcohol and cannabis-related intrusions, enhancing the risk for relapse and potentially for alcohol and cannabis co-use with the increased social acceptance and accessibility in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Müller-Oehring
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Anne-Pascale Le Berre
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Matthew Serventi
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Ember Kalon
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Amie L Haas
- Dept. of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Claudia B Padula
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States; VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Tilman Schulte
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States.
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31
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Karoly HC, Schacht JP, Jacobus J, Meredith LR, Taylor CT, Tapert SF, Gray KM, Squeglia LM. Preliminary evidence that computerized approach avoidance training is not associated with changes in fMRI cannabis cue reactivity in non-treatment-seeking adolescent cannabis users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 200:145-152. [PMID: 31132681 PMCID: PMC6635134 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) has garnered interest as a potential addiction treatment. CBM interventions such as Approach Avoidance Training (AAT) are designed to alter automatic tendencies to approach drugs or drug-related cues. In our previous work, the cannabis AAT (CAAT) reduced cannabis approach bias, which was related to reduced cannabis use, among 80 non-treatment-seeking cannabis-using youth (Jacobus et al., 2018). In this preliminary examination, a subsample of these youth underwent neuroimaging to explore CAAT's effect on cannabis cue-related neural activation. METHODS Sub-study participants were 41 cannabis-using youth ages 17-21 (mean age = 18.83; 47.5% female). Participants completed a cannabis cue-reactivity task during a functional MRI scan pre- and post CAAT-training or CAAT-sham to examine CAAT-related neural changes. RESULTS Thirty-seven youth completed all six CAAT (n = 19) or CAAT-sham (n = 18) training sessions and had usable neuroimaging data. The group*time interaction on cannabis approach bias reached trend-level significance (p = .055). Change in approach bias slopes from pre-to post-treatment was positive for CAAT-sham (increased approach bias) and negative for CAAT-training (change to avoidance bias), consistent with the larger study. No significant changes emerged for cannabis cue-induced activation following CAAT-training or CAAT-sham in whole brain or region of interest analyses. However, active CAAT-training was associated with small-to-medium decreases in amygdala (Cohen's dz = 0.36) and medial prefrontal cortex (Cohen's dz = 0.48) activation to cannabis cues. CONCLUSIONS Despite reducing cannabis use in the larger sample, CAAT-training did not alter neural cannabis cue-reactivity in the sub-study compared to CAAT-sham. More research is needed to understand neural mechanisms underlying AAT-related changes in substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hollis C. Karoly
- University of Colorado Boulder, Institute of Cognitive Science, Boulder, CO, USA,Corresponding author: Hollis C. Karoly, Institute of Cognitive Science University of Colorado Boulder, Phone: 480-206-8533,
| | - Joseph P. Schacht
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry,University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lindsay R. Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Charles T. Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry,University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Susan F. Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry,University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin M. Gray
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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32
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Liao XL, Yuan Q, Shi WQ, Li B, Su T, Lin Q, Min YL, Zhu PW, Ye L, Shao Y. ALTERED BRAIN ACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY USING REGIONAL HOMOGENEITY: A RESTING-STATE fMRI STUDY. Endocr Pract 2019; 25:320-327. [PMID: 30995427 DOI: 10.4158/ep-2018-0517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that diabetic retinopathy (DR) is accompanied by abnormal spontaneous brain activity. The purpose of the current study was to investigate changes in brain neural homogeneity in patients with DR using regional homogeneity (ReHo). Methods: A total of 56 subjects were recruited, including 28 patients with DR (16 female and 12 male patients) and 28 healthy controls (HCs) (16 female and 12 male patients) approximately matched for age and sex. All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The ReHo method was applied to explore neural homogeneity in the brain. The patients with DR were distinguished from HCs following the construction of receiver operating characteristic curves. The ReHo method was applied to assess changes in synchronous neural activity. Results: Compared to HCs, the ReHo values in the left and right posterior lobes of the cerebellum in patients with DR were significantly increased, whereas ReHo values in the right anterior cingulate gyrus, right cuneus, bilateral precuneus, and left-middle frontal gyrus were significantly decreased. In addition, the ReHo value in the right cuneus showed a positive correlation with the best corrected visual acuity in patients with DR. Conclusion: Dysfunctional brain homology may reveal the pathological mechanisms underlying the visual pathways of patients with DR. Abbreviations: AUC = area under the curve; BA = Brodmann area; DR = diabetic retinopathy; fMRI = functional magnetic resonance imaging; HC = healthy control; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; rs-fMRI = resting-state fMRI; ReHo = regional homogeneity; ROC = receiver operating characteristic.
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