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Ertl N, Lawn W, Mokrysz C, Freeman TP, Alnagger N, Borissova A, Fernandez-Vinson N, Lees R, Ofori S, Petrilli K, Trinci K, Viding E, Curran HV, Wall MB. Associations between regular cannabis use and brain resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents and adults. J Psychopharmacol 2023; 37:904-919. [PMID: 37515469 DOI: 10.1177/02698811231189441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Cannabis use is highly prevalent in adolescents; however, little is known about its effects on adolescent brain function. METHOD Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used in matched groups of regular cannabis users (N = 70, 35 adolescents: 16-17 years old, 35 adults: 26-29 years old) and non-regular-using controls (N = 70, 35 adolescents/35 adults). Pre-registered analyses examined the connectivity of seven major cortical and sub-cortical brain networks (default mode network, executive control network (ECN), salience network, hippocampal network and three striatal networks) using seed-based analysis methods with cross-sectional comparisons between user groups and age groups. RESULTS The regular cannabis use group (across both age groups), relative to controls, showed localised increases in connectivity only in the ECN analysis. All networks showed localised connectivity differences based on age group, with the adolescents generally showing weaker connectivity than adults, consistent with the developmental effects. Mean connectivity across entire network regions of interest (ROIs) was also significantly decreased in the ECN in adolescents. However, there were no significant interactions found between age group and user group in any of the seed-based or ROI analyses. There were also no associations found between cannabis use frequency and any of the derived connectivity measures. CONCLUSION Regular cannabis use is associated with changes in connectivity of the ECN, which may reflect allostatic or compensatory changes in response to regular cannabis intoxication. However, these associations were not significantly different in adolescents compared to adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Ertl
- Invicro London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Will Lawn
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Claire Mokrysz
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tom P Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Naji Alnagger
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Borissova
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | | | - Rachel Lees
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Shelan Ofori
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kat Petrilli
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Katie Trinci
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Essi Viding
- Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology Research Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - H Valerie Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew B Wall
- Invicro London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
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2
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Sepe-Forrest L, Kim DJ, Quinn PD, Bolbecker AR, Wisner KM, Hetrick WP, O'Donnell BF. Evidence of familial confounding of the association between cannabis use and cerebellar-cortical functional connectivity using a twin study. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103237. [PMID: 36451348 PMCID: PMC9668648 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar-cortical resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) has been reported to be altered in cannabis users. However, this association may be due to genetic and environmental confounding rather than a causal relationship between cannabis use and changes in rsFC. In this co-twin control study, linear mixed models were used to assess relationships between the number of lifetime cannabis uses (NLCU) and age of cannabis onset (ACO) with cerebellar-cortical rsFC. The rsFC with seven functional networks was evaluated in 147 monozygotic and 82 dizygotic twin pairs. Importantly, the use of genetically informed models in this twin sample facilitated examining whether shared genetic or environmental effects underlie crude associations between cannabis measures and connectivity. Individual-level phenotypic analyses (i.e., accounting for twin-pair non-independence) showed that individuals in the full sample with earlier ACO and higher NLCU had lower cerebellar rsFC within the VA, DA, and FP networks. Yet, there were no significant differences in cerebellar-cortical rsFC between monozygotic twins who were discordant for cannabis measures. These findings suggest shared genetic or environmental confounds contribute to associations between cannabis use and altered cerebellar-cortical rsFC, rather than unique causal impacts of cannabis use on cerebellar-cortical rsFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnea Sepe-Forrest
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Corresponding author-at: Indiana University Bloomington, Department of Psychology, Room A208A, United States.
| | - Dae-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Patrick D. Quinn
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Amanda R. Bolbecker
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Krista M. Wisner
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - William P. Hetrick
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Brian F. O'Donnell
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States,Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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Wang D, Yao Q, Lin X, Hu J, Shi J. Disrupted topological properties of the structural brain network in patients with cerebellar infarction on different sides are associated with cognitive impairment. Front Neurol 2022; 13:982630. [PMID: 36203973 PMCID: PMC9530262 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.982630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To explore changes in the brain structural network in patients with cerebellar infarction on different sides and their correlations with changes in cognitive function. Methods Nineteen patients with acute left posterior cerebellar infarction and 18 patients with acute right posterior cerebellar infarction seen from July 2016 to September 2019 in the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, were selected. A total of 27 healthy controls matched for sex, age, and years of education were recruited. The subjects underwent head diffusion magnetic resonance imaging examination and neuropsychological cognitive scale evaluation, and we analyzed changes in brain structural network properties in patients with cerebellar infarction and their correlation with changes in patients' cognitive function. Results The Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and the Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT) scores in the left and right cerebellar infarction groups were significantly lower than those in the healthy control group (p < 0.05). In addition, the digit span test (DST) scores were lower in the left cerebellar infarction group (p < 0.05); the trail-making test (TMT) times in the right cerebellar infarction group were significantly higher than those in the left cerebellar infarction group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the left and right cerebellar infarction groups had abnormal brain topological properties, including clustering coefficient, shortest path length, global efficiency, local efficiency and nodal efficiency. After unilateral cerebellar infarction, bilateral cerebral nodal efficiency was abnormal. Correlation analysis showed that there was a close correlation between decreased processing speed in patients with left cerebellar infarction and decreased efficiency of right cerebral nodes (p < 0.05), and there was a close relationship between executive dysfunction and decreased efficiency of left cerebral nodes in patients with right cerebellar infarction (p < 0.05). Conclusion Patients with cerebellar infarction have cognitive impairment. Unilateral cerebellar infarction can reduce the network efficiency of key regions in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres, and these abnormal changes are closely related to patient cognitive impairment. The results of this study provide evidence for understanding the underlying neural mechanisms of cerebellar cognitive impairment and suggest that brain topological network properties may be markers of cerebellar cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duohao Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qun Yao
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xingjian Lin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Hu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingping Shi
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Jingping Shi
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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: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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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Affiliation(s)
- Allan H Young
- Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David J Nutt
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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