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Mason NL, Theunissen EL, Hutten NR, Tse DH, Toennes SW, Jansen JF, Stiers P, Ramaekers JG. Reduced responsiveness of the reward system is associated with tolerance to cannabis impairment in chronic users. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12870. [PMID: 31865628 PMCID: PMC7757162 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the world. However, because of a changing legal landscape and rising interest in therapeutic utility, there is an increasing trend in (long‐term) use and possibly cannabis impairment. Importantly, a growing body of evidence suggests that regular cannabis users develop tolerance to the impairing, as well as the rewarding, effects of the drug. However, the neuroadaptations that may underlie cannabis tolerance remain unclear. Therefore, this double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over study assessed the acute influence of cannabis on the brain and behavioral outcomes in two distinct cannabis user groups. Twelve occasional and 12 chronic cannabis users received acute doses of cannabis (300‐μg/kg delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol) and placebo and underwent ultrahigh field functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In occasional users, cannabis induced significant neurometabolic alterations in reward circuitry, namely, decrements in functional connectivity and increments in striatal glutamate concentrations, which were associated with increases in subjective high and decreases in performance on a sustained attention task. Such changes were absent in chronic users. The finding that cannabis altered circuitry and distorted behavior in occasional, but not chronic users, suggests reduced responsiveness of the reward circuitry to cannabis intoxication in chronic users. Taken together, the results suggest a pharmacodynamic mechanism for the development of tolerance to cannabis impairment, of which is important to understand in the context of the long‐term therapeutic use of cannabis‐based medications, as well as in the context of public health and safety of cannabis use when performing day‐to‐day operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha L. Mason
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Eef L. Theunissen
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Nadia R.P.W. Hutten
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Desmond H.Y. Tse
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Stefan W. Toennes
- Institute of Legal Medicine University of Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Germany
| | - Jacobus F.A. Jansen
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Maastricht University Medical Center+ (MUMC+) Maastricht The Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience Maastricht University Medical Center Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Peter Stiers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
| | - Johannes G. Ramaekers
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience Maastricht University Maastricht The Netherlands
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2
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Towe SL, Meade CS, Cloak CC, Bell RP, Baptiste J, Chang L. Reciprocal Influences of HIV and Cannabinoids on the Brain and Cognitive Function. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2020; 15:765-779. [PMID: 32445005 PMCID: PMC7680275 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-020-09921-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Globally, cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug, with disproportionately high use among persons with HIV. Despite advances in HIV care, nearly half of persons living with HIV continue to experience neurocognitive deficits or impairments that may have negative impacts on their daily function. Chronic cannabis use may play a role in the development or exacerbation of these impairments. Here we present a review summarizing existing research detailing the effect of cannabis use associated with the neuropathogenesis of HIV. We examine evidence for possible additive or synergistic effects of HIV infection and cannabis use on neuroHIV in both the preclinical and adult human literatures, including in vitro studies, animal models, clinical neuroimaging research, and studies examining the cognitive effects of cannabis. We discuss the limitations of existing research, including methodological challenges involved with clinical research with human subjects. We identify gaps in the field and propose critical research questions to advance our understanding of how cannabis use affects neuroHIV. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheri L Towe
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Christina S Meade
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Christine C Cloak
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 670 W. Baltimore Street, HSF III, Room 1161, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ryan P Bell
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Julian Baptiste
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 670 W. Baltimore Street, HSF III, Room 1161, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Linda Chang
- Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 670 W. Baltimore Street, HSF III, Room 1161, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA.
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3
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Watts JJ, Garani R, Da Silva T, Lalang N, Chavez S, Mizrahi R. Evidence That Cannabis Exposure, Abuse, and Dependence Are Related to Glutamate Metabolism and Glial Function in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex: A 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:764. [PMID: 32973572 PMCID: PMC7468488 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that long-term cannabis use is associated with alterations to glutamate neurotransmission and glial function. In this study, 26 long-term cannabis users (males=65.4%) and 47 non-cannabis using healthy controls (males=44.6%) underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in order to characterize neurometabolite alterations in cannabis users and to examine associations between neurometabolites, cannabis exposure, and cannabis use behaviors. Myo-inositol, a marker of glial function, and glutamate metabolites did not differ between healthy controls and cannabis users or cannabis users who met criteria for DSM5 cannabis use disorder (n=17). Lower myo-inositol, a putative marker of glial function, was related to greater problematic drug use (F1,22 = 11.95, p=.002; Cohen's f=0.59, large effect; Drug Abuse Screening Test) and severity of cannabis dependence (F1,22 = 6.61, p=.17; Cohen's f=0.44, large effect). Further, past-year cannabis exposure exerted different effects on glutamate and glutamate+glutamine in males and females (glutamate: F1,21 = 6.31, p=.02; glutamate+glutamine: F1,21 = 7.20, p=.014), such that greater past-year cannabis exposure was related to higher concentrations of glutamate metabolites in male cannabis users (glutamate: F1,14 = 25.94, p=.00016; Cohen's f=1.32, large effect; glutamate+glutamine: F1,14 = 23.24, p=.00027, Cohen's f=1.24, large effect) but not in female cannabis users (glutamate: F1,6 = 1.37, p=0.78; glutamate+glutamine: F1,6 = 0.001, p=.97). The present results extend existing evidence of altered glial function and glutamate metabolism with cannabis use by providing evidence linking problematic drug use behaviors with glial function as measured with myo-inositol and recent chronic cannabis exposure to alterations in glutamate metabolism. This provides novel directions for the interrogation of the impact of cannabis use on brain neurochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy J Watts
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ranjini Garani
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tania Da Silva
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nittha Lalang
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sofia Chavez
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Romina Mizrahi
- Research Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
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4
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Woodcock EA, Hillmer AT, Mason GF, Cosgrove KP. Imaging Biomarkers of the Neuroimmune System among Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2019; 5:125-146. [PMID: 31312635 PMCID: PMC6597912 DOI: 10.1159/000499621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is tremendous interest in the role of the neuroimmune system and inflammatory processes in substance use disorders (SUDs). Imaging biomarkers of the neuroimmune system in vivo provide a vital translational bridge between preclinical and clinical research. Herein, we examine two imaging techniques that measure putative indices of the neuroimmune system and review their application among SUDs. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of 18 kDa translocator protein availability is a marker associated with microglia. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy quantification of myo-inositol levels is a putative glial marker found in astrocytes. Neuroinflammatory responses are initiated and maintained by microglia and astrocytes, and thus represent important imaging markers. The goal of this review is to summarize neuroimaging findings from the substance use literature that report data using these markers and discuss possible mechanisms of action. The extant literature indicates abused substances exert diverse and complex neuroimmune effects. Moreover, drug effects may change across addiction stages, i.e. the neuroimmune effects of acute drug administration may differ from chronic use. This burgeoning field has considerable potential to improve our understanding and treatment of SUDs. Future research is needed to determine how targeting the neuroimmune system may improve treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kelly P. Cosgrove
- Departments of Psychiatry, and of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Ide JS, Zhornitsky S, Hu S, Zhang S, Krystal JH, Li CSR. Sex differences in the interacting roles of impulsivity and positive alcohol expectancy in problem drinking: A structural brain imaging study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 14:750-759. [PMID: 28413777 PMCID: PMC5385596 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol expectancy and impulsivity are implicated in alcohol misuse. However, how these two risk factors interact to determine problem drinking and whether men and women differ in these risk processes remain unclear. In 158 social drinkers (86 women) assessed for Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), positive alcohol expectancy, and Barratt impulsivity, we examined sex differences in these risk processes. Further, with structural brain imaging, we examined the neural bases underlying the relationship between these risk factors and problem drinking. The results of general linear modeling showed that alcohol expectancy best predicted problem drinking in women, whereas in men as well as in the combined group alcohol expectancy and impulsivity interacted to best predict problem drinking. Alcohol expectancy was associated with decreased gray matter volume (GMV) of the right posterior insula in women and the interaction of alcohol expectancy and impulsivity was associated with decreased GMV of the left thalamus in women and men combined and in men alone, albeit less significantly. These risk factors mediated the correlation between GMV and problem drinking. Conversely, models where GMV resulted from problem drinking were not supported. These new findings reveal distinct psychological factors that dispose men and women to problem drinking. Although mediation analyses did not determine a causal link, GMV reduction in the insula and thalamus may represent neural phenotype of these risk processes rather than the consequence of alcohol consumption in non-dependent social drinkers. The results add to the alcohol imaging literature which has largely focused on dependent individuals and help elucidate alterations in brain structures that may contribute to the transition from social to habitual drinking. Alcohol expectancy (AE) and impulsivity are risk factors for problem drinking. AE mediates the correlation between right insula GMV and problem drinking in women. AE and impulsivity interacts to mediate left thalamus GMV and problem drinking in all. Models where changes in GMV as a result of problem drinking are not supported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime S Ide
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Sien Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.,Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, United States
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - John H Krystal
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
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6
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Murray DE, Durazzo TC, Schmidt TP, Abé C, Guydish J, Meyerhoff DJ. Frontal Metabolite Concentration Deficits in Opiate Dependence Relate to Substance Use, Cognition, and Self-Regulation. JOURNAL OF ADDICTION RESEARCH & THERAPY 2016; 7:286. [PMID: 27695638 PMCID: PMC5042152 DOI: 10.4172/2155-6105.1000286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) in opiate dependence showed abnormalities in neuronal viability and glutamate concentration in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Metabolite levels in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) or orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and their neuropsychological correlates have not been investigated in opiate dependence. METHODS Single-volume proton MRS at 4 Tesla and neuropsychological testing were conducted in 21 opiate-dependent individuals (OD) on buprenorphine maintenance therapy. Results were compared to 28 controls (CON) and 35 alcohol-dependent individuals (ALC), commonly investigated treatment-seekers providing context for OD evaluation. Metabolite concentrations were measured from ACC, DLPFC, OFC and parieto-occipital cortical (POC) regions. RESULTS Compared to CON, OD had lower concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate (Glu), creatine +phosphocreatine (Cr) and myo-Inositol (mI) in the DLPFC and lower NAA, Cr, and mI in the ACC. OD, ALC, and CON were equivalent on metabolite levels in the POC and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration did not differ between groups in any region. In OD, prefrontal metabolite deficits in ACC Glu as well as DLPFC NAA and choline containing metabolites (Cho) correlated with poorer working memory, executive and visuospatial functioning; metabolite deficits in DLPFC Glu and ACC GABA and Cr correlated with substance use measures. In the OFC of OD, Glu and choline-containing metabolites were elevated and lower Cr concentration related to higher nonplanning impulsivity. Compared to 3 week abstinent ALC, OD had significant DLPFC metabolite deficits. CONCLUSION The anterior frontal metabolite profile of OD differed significantly from that of CON and ALC. The frontal lobe metabolite abnormalities in OD and their neuropsychological correlates may play a role in treatment outcome and could be explored as specific targets for improved OD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna E Murray
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND), San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Timothy C Durazzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Mental Illness Research Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Centers; Sierra-Pacific War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto CA, USA
| | - Thomas P Schmidt
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND), San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christoph Abé
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osher Center, Karolinska Institutet, Nobelsväg 9, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joseph Guydish
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dieter J Meyerhoff
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND), San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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7
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Cortical thinness and volume differences associated with marijuana abuse in emerging adults. Drug Alcohol Depend 2015; 155:275-83. [PMID: 26249265 PMCID: PMC4581973 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of marijuana (MJ) use among youth and its legalization for medical or recreational use has intensified public health endeavors of understanding MJ effects on brain structure and function. Studies indicate that MJ use is related to impaired cognitive performance, and altered functional brain activation and chemistry in adolescents and adults, but MJ effects on brain morphology in emerging adults are less understood. METHODS Fifteen MJ users (age 21.8±3.6, 2 females) and 15 non-user (NU) participants (age 22.3±3.5, 2 females) were included, demographically matched on age, education and alcohol use. High-resolution structural MR images were acquired at 3Tesla. Cortical thickness (CT) and volumetric analyses were performed using Freesurfer. A priori regions of interest (ROI) included orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices, amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus. RESULTS Whole brain CT analysis did not result in significant group differences in a priori ROIs but revealed MJ users had significantly less CT (i.e., thinness) in right fusiform gyrus (rFG) compared to NU (p<0.05). Thalamic volume was significantly smaller in MJ users compared to NU (right, p=0.05; left, p=0.01) and associated with greater non-planning (p<0.01) and overall impulsivity (p=0.04). There were no other group differences. CONCLUSIONS RFG cortical thinness and smaller thalamic volume in emerging adults is associated with MJ abuse. Furthermore, smaller thalamic volume associated with greater impulsivity contributes to growing evidence that the thalamus is neurobiologically perturbed by MJ use. Collectively, altered thalamic and rFG structural integrity may interfere with their known roles in regulating visuoperceptual and object information processing.
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8
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Hellem T, Shi X, Latendresse G, Renshaw PF. The Utility of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Understanding Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Literature. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc 2015; 21:244-75. [PMID: 26282670 PMCID: PMC5495546 DOI: 10.1177/1078390315598606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present a systematic review of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies of substance use disorders. As a noninvasive and nonionizing imaging technique, MRS is being widely used in substance abuse research to evaluate the effects substances of abuse have on brain chemistry. Nearly 40 peer-reviewed research articles that focused on the utility of MRS in alcohol, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, cocaine, opiates, opioids, marijuana, and nicotine use disorders were reviewed. Findings indicate inconsistencies with respect to alterations in brain chemistry within each substance of abuse, and the most consistent finding across substances was decreased N-acetylaspartate and choline levels with chronic alcohol, methamphetamine, and nicotine use. Variation in the brain regions studied, imaging technique, as well as small sample sizes might explain the discrepancies in findings within each substance. Future well-designed MRS studies offer promise in examining novel treatment approaches in substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Hellem
- Tracy Hellem, PhD, RN, Diagnostic Neuroimaging and College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Xianfeng Shi
- Xianfeng Shi, PhD, Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Gwen Latendresse
- Gwen Latendresse, PhD, CNM, FACNM, College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Perry F Renshaw
- Perry F. Renshaw, MD, PhD, MBA, Diagnostic Neuroimaging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA and VISN 19 MIRECC, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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9
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Telling true from false: cannabis users show increased susceptibility to false memories. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:772-7. [PMID: 25824306 PMCID: PMC4441258 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies on the neurocognitive impact of cannabis use have found working and declarative memory deficits that tend to normalize with abstinence. An unexplored aspect of cognitive function in chronic cannabis users is the ability to distinguish between veridical and illusory memories, a crucial aspect of reality monitoring that relies on adequate memory function and cognitive control. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we show that abstinent cannabis users have an increased susceptibility to false memories, failing to identify lure stimuli as events that never occurred. In addition to impaired performance, cannabis users display reduced activation in areas associated with memory processing within the lateral and medial temporal lobe (MTL), and in parietal and frontal brain regions involved in attention and performance monitoring. Furthermore, cannabis consumption was inversely correlated with MTL activity, suggesting that the drug is especially detrimental to the episodic aspects of memory. These findings indicate that cannabis users have an increased susceptibility to memory distortions even when abstinent and drug-free, suggesting a long-lasting compromise of memory and cognitive control mechanisms involved in reality monitoring.
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10
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Abstract
Neuroimaging, including PET, MRI, and MRS, is a powerful approach to the study of brain function. This article reviews neuroimaging findings related to alcohol and other drugs of abuse that have been published since 2011. Uses of neuroimaging are to characterize patients to determine who will fare better in treatment and to investigate the reasons underlying the effect on outcomes. Neuroimaging is also used to characterize the acute and chronic effects of substances on the brain and how those effects are related to dependence, relapse, and other drug effects. The data can be used to provide encouraging information for patients, as several studies have shown that long-term abstinence is associated with at least partial normalization of neurological abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Niciu
- National Institutes of Health and Department of Health and Human Services, Experimental Therapeutics & Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, 10 Center Dr., Building 10/CRC, Room 7-5545, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Graeme F Mason
- Yale University Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Psychiatry, New Haven, CT, USA
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Sneider JT, Mashhoon Y, Silveri MM. A Review of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies in Marijuana using Adolescents and Adults. JOURNAL OF ADDICTION RESEARCH & THERAPY 2013; Suppl 4:010. [PMID: 24587965 PMCID: PMC3936252 DOI: 10.4172/2155-6105.s4-010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Marijuana (MJ) remains the most widely used illicit drug of abuse, and accordingly, is associated with adverse effects on mental and physical health, and neurocognitive decline. Studies investigating the neurobiology of underlying MJ effects have demonstrated structural and functional alterations in brain areas that contain moderate to high concentrations of cannabinoid (CB1) receptors and that are implicated in MJ-related cognitive decrements. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS), a non-invasive imaging technique used to assess neurochemistry, has been widely applied to probe a variety of substance-abusing populations. To date, however, there is a relative paucity of MRS published studies characterizing changes in neurometabolite concentrations in MJ users. Thus, the current review provides a summary of data from the eight existing MRS studies of MJ use in adolescents and adults, as well as interpretations and implications of study findings. Future MRS studies that address additional factors such as sex differences, onset and duration of use, abstinence and age, are warranted, and would lead to a more thorough characterization of potential neurochemical correlates of chronic MJ use, which would fill critical gaps in the existing literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T Sneider
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yasmin Mashhoon
- Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marisa M Silveri
- Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health, McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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