1
|
Chirokoff V, Pohl KM, Berthoz S, Fatseas M, Misdrahi D, Serre F, Auriacombe M, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV, Chanraud S. Multi-level prediction of substance use: Interaction of white matter integrity, resting-state connectivity and inhibitory control measured repeatedly in every-day life. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13400. [PMID: 38706091 PMCID: PMC11070496 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Substance use disorders are characterized by inhibition deficits related to disrupted connectivity in white matter pathways, leading via interaction to difficulties in resisting substance use. By combining neuroimaging with smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA), we questioned how biomarkers moderate inhibition deficits to predict use. Thus, we aimed to assess white matter integrity interaction with everyday inhibition deficits and related resting-state network connectivity to identify multi-dimensional predictors of substance use. Thirty-eight patients treated for alcohol, cannabis or tobacco use disorder completed 1 week of EMA to report substance use five times and complete Stroop inhibition testing twice daily. Before EMA tracking, participants underwent resting state functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scanning. Regression analyses were conducted between mean Stroop performances and whole-brain fractional anisotropy (FA) in white matter. Moderation testing was conducted between mean FA within significant clusters as moderator and the link between momentary Stroop performance and use as outcome. Predictions between FA and resting-state connectivity strength in known inhibition-related networks were assessed using mixed modelling. Higher FA values in the anterior corpus callosum and bilateral anterior corona radiata predicted higher mean Stroop performance during the EMA week and stronger functional connectivity in occipital-frontal-cerebellar regions. Integrity in these regions moderated the link between inhibitory control and substance use, whereby stronger inhibition was predictive of the lowest probability of use for the highest FA values. In conclusion, compromised white matter structural integrity in anterior brain systems appears to underlie impairment in inhibitory control functional networks and compromised ability to refrain from substance use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Chirokoff
- Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA CNRS‐UMR 5287BordeauxFrance
- EPHEPSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - Kilian M. Pohl
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sylvie Berthoz
- Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA CNRS‐UMR 5287BordeauxFrance
- Department of Psychiatry for Adolescents and Young AdultsInstitut Mutualiste MontsourisParisFrance
| | - Melina Fatseas
- Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA CNRS‐UMR 5287BordeauxFrance
- CH Charles PerrensBordeauxFrance
- CHU BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - David Misdrahi
- Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA CNRS‐UMR 5287BordeauxFrance
- CH Charles PerrensBordeauxFrance
| | - Fuschia Serre
- CNRS UMR 6033 – Sleep, Addiction and Neuropsychiatry (SANPSY)University of BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - Marc Auriacombe
- CH Charles PerrensBordeauxFrance
- CNRS UMR 6033 – Sleep, Addiction and Neuropsychiatry (SANPSY)University of BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - Adolf Pfefferbaum
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Center for Health SciencesSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
| | - Edith V. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sandra Chanraud
- Univ. Bordeaux, INCIA CNRS‐UMR 5287BordeauxFrance
- EPHEPSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fazio G, Olivo D, Wolf ND, Hirjak D, Schmitgen MM, Werler F, Witteman M, Kubera KM, Calhoun VD, Reith W, Wolf RC, Sambataro F. The risk of cannabis use disorder is mediated by altered brain connectivity: A chronnectome study. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13395. [PMID: 38709211 PMCID: PMC11072977 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The brain mechanisms underlying the risk of cannabis use disorder (CUD) are poorly understood. Several studies have reported changes in functional connectivity (FC) in CUD, although none have focused on the study of time-varying patterns of FC. To fill this important gap of knowledge, 39 individuals at risk for CUD and 55 controls, stratified by their score on a self-screening questionnaire for cannabis-related problems (CUDIT-R), underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Dynamic functional connectivity (dFNC) was estimated using independent component analysis, sliding-time window correlations, cluster states and meta-state indices of global dynamics and were compared among groups. At-risk individuals stayed longer in a cluster state with higher within and reduced between network dFNC for the subcortical, sensory-motor, visual, cognitive-control and default-mode networks, relative to controls. More globally, at-risk individuals had a greater number of meta-states and transitions between them and a longer state span and total distance between meta-states in the state space. Our findings suggest that the risk of CUD is associated with an increased dynamic fluidity and dynamic range of FC. This may result in altered stability and engagement of the brain networks, which can ultimately translate into altered cortical and subcortical function conveying CUD risk. Identifying these changes in brain function can pave the way for early pharmacological and neurostimulation treatment of CUD, as much as they could facilitate the stratification of high-risk individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Fazio
- Department of Neuroscience, Padua Neuroscience CenterUniversity of PaduaPaduaItaly
| | - Daniele Olivo
- Department of Neuroscience, Padua Neuroscience CenterUniversity of PaduaPaduaItaly
| | - Nadine D. Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Dusan Hirjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Mike M. Schmitgen
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Florian Werler
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Miriam Witteman
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany
| | - Katharina M. Kubera
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Wolfgang Reith
- Department of NeuroradiologySaarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany
| | - Robert Christian Wolf
- Department of General Psychiatry at the Center for Psychosocial MedicineHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience, Padua Neuroscience CenterUniversity of PaduaPaduaItaly
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang X, Zhou H, Hu Y. Altered neural associations with cognitive and emotional functions in cannabis dependence. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:8724-8733. [PMID: 37143177 PMCID: PMC10505425 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Negative emotional state has been found to correlate with poor cognitive performance in cannabis-dependent (CD) individuals, but not healthy controls (HCs). To examine the neural substrates underlying such unusual emotion-cognition coupling, we analyzed the behavioral and resting state fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project and found opposite brain-behavior associations in the CD and HC groups: (i) although the cognitive performance was positively correlated with the within-network functional connectivity strength and segregation (i.e. clustering coefficient and local efficiency) of the cognitive network in HCs, these correlations were inversed in CDs; (ii) although the cognitive performance was positively correlated with the within-network Granger effective connectivity strength and integration (i.e. characteristic path length) of the cognitive network in CDs, such associations were not significant in HCs. In addition, we also found that the effective connectivity strength within cognition network mediated the behavioral coupling between emotional state and cognitive performance. These results indicate a disorganization of the cognition network in CDs, and may help improve our understanding of substance use disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Wang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
| | - Yuzheng Hu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Spindle TR, Kuwabara H, Eversole A, Nandi A, Vandrey R, Antoine DG, Umbricht A, Guarda AS, Wong DF, Weerts EM. Brain imaging of cannabinoid type I (CB 1 ) receptors in women with cannabis use disorder and male and female healthy controls. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13061. [PMID: 34028926 PMCID: PMC8516687 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis effects are predominantly mediated by pharmacological actions on cannabinoid type 1 (CB1 ) receptors. Prior positron emission tomography (PET) studies in individuals who use cannabis included almost exclusively males. PET studies in females are needed because there are sex differences in cannabis effects, progression to cannabis use disorder (CUD), and withdrawal symptom severity. Females with CUD (N = 10) completed two double-blind cannabis smoking sessions (Session 1: placebo; Session 2: active), and acute cannabis effects were assessed. After Session 2, participants underwent 3 days of monitored cannabis abstinence; mood, craving, and withdrawal symptoms were assessed and a PET scan (radiotracer: [11 C]OMAR) followed. [11 C]OMAR Distribution volume (VT ) from these participants was compared with VT of age/BMI-similar female non-users of cannabis ("healthy controls"; N = 10). VT was also compared between female and male healthy controls (N = 7). Females with CUD displayed significantly lower VT than female healthy controls in specific brain regions (hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate, and insula). Amygdala VT was negatively correlated with mood changes (anger/hostility) during abstinence, but VT was not correlated with other withdrawal symptoms or cannabis effects. Among healthy controls, females had significantly higher VT than males in all brain regions examined. Chronic cannabis use appears to foster downregulation of CB1 receptors in women, as observed previously in men, and there are inherent sex differences in CB1 availability. Future studies should elucidate the time course of CB1 downregulation among females who use cannabis and examine the relation between CB1 availability and cannabis effects among other populations (e.g., infrequent users; medicinal users).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tory R. Spindle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Hiroto Kuwabara
- Division of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Alisha Eversole
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Ayon Nandi
- Division of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Ryan Vandrey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Denis G. Antoine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Annie Umbricht
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Angela S. Guarda
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Dean F. Wong
- Division of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Elise M. Weerts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rossetti MG, Mackey S, Patalay P, Allen NB, Batalla A, Bellani M, Chye Y, Conrod P, Cousijn J, Garavan H, Goudriaan AE, Hester R, Martin-Santos R, Solowij N, Suo C, Thompson PM, Yücel M, Brambilla P, Lorenzetti V. Sex and dependence related neuroanatomical differences in regular cannabis users: findings from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:272. [PMID: 33958576 PMCID: PMC8102553 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01382-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females show different patterns of cannabis use and related psychosocial outcomes. However, the neuroanatomical substrates underlying such differences are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to map sex differences in the neurobiology (as indexed by brain volumes) of dependent and recreational cannabis use. We compared the volume of a priori regions of interest (i.e., amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, insula, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex and cerebellum) between 129 regular cannabis users (of whom 70 were recreational users and 59 cannabis dependent) and 114 controls recruited from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group, accounting for intracranial volume, age, IQ, and alcohol and tobacco use. Dependent cannabis users, particularly females, had (marginally significant) smaller volumes of the lateral OFC and cerebellar white matter than recreational users and controls. In dependent (but not recreational) cannabis users, there was a significant association between female sex and smaller volumes of the cerebellar white matter and OFC. Volume of the OFC was also predicted by monthly standard drinks. No significant effects emerged the other brain regions of interest. Our findings warrant future multimodal studies that examine if sex and cannabis dependence are specific key drivers of neurobiological alterations in cannabis users. This, in turn, could help to identify neural pathways specifically involved in vulnerable cannabis users (e.g., females with cannabis dependence) and inform individually tailored neurobiological targets for treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gloria Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Scott Mackey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Praveetha Patalay
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies and MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, IOE and Population Health Sciences, UCL, London, UK
| | | | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Robert Hester
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction & Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural & Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Koenis MMG, Durnez J, Rodrigue AL, Mathias SR, Alexander‐Bloch AF, Barrett JA, Doucet GE, Frangou S, Knowles EEM, Mollon J, Denbow D, Aberizk K, Zatony M, Janssen RJ, Curran JE, Blangero J, Poldrack RA, Pearlson GD, Glahn DC. Associations of cannabis use disorder with cognition, brain structure, and brain function in African Americans. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1727-1741. [PMID: 33340172 PMCID: PMC7978126 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Although previous studies have highlighted associations of cannabis use with cognition and brain morphometry, critical questions remain with regard to the association between cannabis use and brain structural and functional connectivity. In a cross-sectional community sample of 205 African Americans (age 18-70) we tested for associations of cannabis use disorder (CUD, n = 57) with multi-domain cognitive measures and structural, diffusion, and resting state brain-imaging phenotypes. Post hoc model evidence was computed with Bayes factors (BF) and posterior probabilities of association (PPA) to account for multiple testing. General cognitive functioning, verbal intelligence, verbal memory, working memory, and motor speed were lower in the CUD group compared with non-users (p < .011; 1.9 < BF < 3,217). CUD was associated with altered functional connectivity in a network comprising the motor-hand region in the superior parietal gyri and the anterior insula (p < .04). These differences were not explained by alcohol, other drug use, or education. No associations with CUD were observed in cortical thickness, cortical surface area, subcortical or cerebellar volumes (0.12 < BF < 1.5), or graph-theoretical metrics of resting state connectivity (PPA < 0.01). In a large sample collected irrespective of cannabis used to minimize recruitment bias, we confirm the literature on poorer cognitive functioning in CUD, and an absence of volumetric brain differences between CUD and non-CUD. We did not find evidence for or against a disruption of structural connectivity, whereas we did find localized resting state functional dysconnectivity in CUD. There was sufficient proof, however, that organization of functional connectivity as determined via graph metrics does not differ between CUD and non-user group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marinka M. G. Koenis
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
| | - Joke Durnez
- Department of PsychologyStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Amanda L. Rodrigue
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of PsychiatryBoston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Samuel R. Mathias
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of PsychiatryBoston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Jennifer A. Barrett
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
| | - Gaelle E. Doucet
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Sophia Frangou
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Emma E. M. Knowles
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of PsychiatryBoston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Josephine Mollon
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of PsychiatryBoston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Dominique Denbow
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
| | - Katrina Aberizk
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
| | - Molly Zatony
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
| | - Ronald J. Janssen
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
| | - Joanne E. Curran
- Department of Human Genetics, and South Texas Diabetes and Obesity InstituteSchool of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyBrownsvilleTexasUSA
| | - John Blangero
- Department of Human Genetics, and South Texas Diabetes and Obesity InstituteSchool of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyBrownsvilleTexasUSA
| | | | - Godfrey D. Pearlson
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - David C. Glahn
- Department of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Olin Neuropsychiatry Research CenterInstitute of LivingHartfordConnecticutUSA
- Department of PsychiatryBoston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Sultan AA, Kennedy KG, Fiksenbaum L, MacIntosh BJ, Goldstein BI. Neurostructural Correlates of Cannabis Use in Adolescent Bipolar Disorder. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:181-190. [PMID: 33103721 PMCID: PMC7968618 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known regarding the association of cannabis use with brain structure in adolescents with bipolar disorder (BD). This subject is timely, given expanded availability of cannabis contemporaneously with increased social acceptance and diminished societal constraints to access. Therefore, we set out to examine this topic in a sample of adolescents with BD and healthy control (HC) adolescents. METHODS Participants included 144 adolescents (47 BD with cannabis use [BDCB+; including 13 with cannabis use disorder], 34 BD without cannabis use [BDCB-], 63 HC without cannabis use) ages 13-20 years. FreeSurfer-processed 3T MRI with T1-weighted contrast yielded measures of cortical thickness, surface area (SA), and volume. Region of interest (amygdala, hippocampus, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex) analyses and exploratory vertex-wise analysis were undertaken. A general linear model tested for between-group differences, accounting for age, sex, and intracranial volume. RESULTS Vertex-wise analysis revealed significant group effects in frontal and parietal regions. In post-hoc analyses, BDCB+ exhibited larger volume and SA in parietal regions, and smaller thickness in frontal regions, relative to HC and BDCB-. BDCB- had smaller volume, SA, and thickness in parietal and frontal regions relative to HC. There were no significant region of interest findings after correcting for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSION This study found that cannabis use is associated with differences in regional brain structure among adolescents with BD. Future prospective studies are necessary to determine the direction of the observed association and to assess for dose effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alysha A Sultan
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kody G Kennedy
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lisa Fiksenbaum
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Bradley J MacIntosh
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences & Physical Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Benjamin I Goldstein
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Filbey FM, Beaton D, Prashad S. The contributions of the endocannabinoid system and stress on the neural processing of reward stimuli. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110183. [PMID: 33221340 PMCID: PMC8204292 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The brain's endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in reward processes by mediating appetitive learning and encoding the reinforcing properties of substances. Evidence also suggests that endocannabinoids are an important constituent of neuronal substrates involved in emotional responses to stress. Thus, it is critical to understand how the endocannabinoid system and stress may affect reward processes given their importance in substance use disorders. We examined the relationship between factors that regulate endocannabinoid system signaling (i.e., cannabinoid receptor genes and prolonged cannabis exposure) and stress on fMRI BOLD response to reward cues using multivariate statistical analysis. We found that proxies for endocannabinoid system signaling (i.e., endocannabinoid genes and chronic exposure to cannabis) and stress have differential effects on neural response to cannabis cues. Specifically, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant in the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) gene, early life stress, and current perceived stress modulated reward responsivity in long-term, heavy cannabis users, while a variant in the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) gene and current perceived stress modulated cue-elicited response in non-using controls. These associations were related to distinct neural responses to cannabis-related cues compared to natural reward cues. Understanding the contributions of endocannabinoid system factors and stress that lead to downstream effects on neural mechanisms underlying sensitivity to rewards, such as cannabis, will contribute towards a better understanding of endocannabinoid-targeted therapies as well as individual risks for cannabis use disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - D Beaton
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Prashad
- Department of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhao W, Zimmermann K, Zhou X, Zhou F, Fu M, Dernbach C, Scheele D, Weber B, Eckstein M, Hurlemann R, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Impaired cognitive performance under psychosocial stress in cannabis-dependent men is associated with attenuated precuneus activity. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2020; 45:88-97. [PMID: 31509368 PMCID: PMC7828906 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.190039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficient regulation of stress plays an important role in the escalation of substance use, addiction and relapse. Accumulating evidence suggests dysregulations in cognitive and reward-related processes and the underlying neural circuitry in cannabis dependence. However, despite the important regulatory role of the endocannabinoid system in the stress response, associations between chronic cannabis use and altered stress processing at the neural level have not been systematically examined. METHODS Against this background, the present functional MRI study examined psychosocial stress processing in cannabis-dependent men (n = 28) and matched controls (n = 23) using an established stress-induction paradigm (Montreal Imaging Stress Task) that combines computerized (adaptive) mental arithmetic challenges with social evaluative threat. RESULTS During psychosocial stress exposure, but not the no-stress condition, cannabis users demonstrated impaired performance relative to controls. In contrast, levels of experienced stress and cardiovascular stress responsivity did not differ from controls. Functional MRI data revealed that stress-induced performance deteriorations in cannabis users was accompanied by decreased precuneus activity and increased connectivity of this region with the superior frontal gyrus. LIMITATIONS Only male cannabis-dependent users were examined; the generalizability in female users remains to be determined. CONCLUSION Together, the present findings provide first evidence for exaggerated stress-induced cognitive performance deteriorations in cannabis users. The neural data suggest that deficient stress-related recruitment of the precuneus may be associated with the deterioration of performance at the behavioural level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Zhao
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Kaeli Zimmermann
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Feng Zhou
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Meina Fu
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Christian Dernbach
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Dirk Scheele
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Bernd Weber
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Monika Eckstein
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - René Hurlemann
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Keith M. Kendrick
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| | - Benjamin Becker
- From the Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China (Zhao, Zhou, Zhou, Fu, Kendrick, Becker); the Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Zimmermann, Dernbach, Scheele, Hurlemann); the Center for Economics and Neuroscience, Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany (Weber); the Department of NeuroCognition, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany (Weber); and the Institute of Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany (Eckstein)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Leiker EK, Meffert H, Thornton LC, Taylor BK, Aloi J, Abdel-Rahim H, Shah N, Tyler PM, White SF, Blair KS, Filbey F, Pope K, Dobbertin M, Blair RJR. Alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder symptomatology in adolescents are differentially related to dysfunction in brain regions supporting face processing. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 292:62-71. [PMID: 31541926 PMCID: PMC6992382 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive behavioral evidence of impairments in face processing and expression recognition in adults with alcohol or cannabis use disorders (AUD/CUD), neuroimaging findings have been inconsistent. Moreover, relatively little work has examined the relationship of AUD or CUD symptoms with face or expression processing within adolescents. Given the high prevalence of alcohol and cannabis use during adolescence, understanding how these usage behaviors interact with neural mechanisms supporting face and expression processing could have important implications for youth social and emotional functioning. In this study, adolescents (N = 104) responded to morphed fearful and happy expressions during fMRI and their level of AUD and/or CUD symptoms were related to the BOLD response data. We found that AUD and CUD symptom severity were both negatively related to responses to faces generally. However, whereas this relationship was shown for AUD within ventromedial prefrontal cortex and lingual gyrus, it was shown for CUD within rostromedial prefrontal cortex including anterior cingulate cortex. Additionally, AUD symptom levels were associated with differential responses within medial temporal pole and inferior parietal lobule as a function of expression. These results have potential implications for understanding the social and emotional functioning of adolescents with AUD and CUD symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Leiker
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Harma Meffert
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Laura C Thornton
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Joseph Aloi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Heba Abdel-Rahim
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Niraj Shah
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Patrick M Tyler
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Stuart F White
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Karina S Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - Francesca Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Kayla Pope
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA
| | - R James R Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, 14100 Crawford St, Boys Town, NE 68010, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zimmermann K, Kendrick KM, Scheele D, Dau W, Banger M, Maier W, Weber B, Ma Y, Hurlemann R, Becker B. Altered striatal reward processing in abstinent dependent cannabis users: Social context matters. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:356-364. [PMID: 30658938 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.01.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Public perception of cannabis as relatively harmless, alongside claimed medical benefits, have led to moves towards its legalization. Yet, long-term consequences of cannabis dependence, and whether they differ qualitatively from other drugs, are still poorly understood. A key feature of addictive drugs is that chronic use leads to adaptations in striatal reward processing, blunting responsivity to the substance itself and natural (non-drug) rewards. Against this background, the present study investigated whether cannabis dependence is associated with lasting alterations in behavioral and neural responses to social reward in 23 abstinent cannabis-dependent men and 24 matched non-using controls. In an interpersonal pleasant touch fMRI paradigm, participants were led to believe they were in physical closeness of or touched (CLOSE, TOUCH) by either a male or female experimenter (MALE, FEMALE), allowing contextual modulation of the perceived pleasantness and associated neural responses. Upon female compared to male touch, dependent cannabis users displayed a significantly attenuated increase of pleasantness experience compared to healthy controls. Controls responded to female as compared to male interaction with increased striatal activation whereas cannabis users displayed the opposite activation pattern, with stronger alterations being associated with a higher lifetime exposure to cannabis. Neural processing of pleasant touch in dependent cannabis users was found to be intact. These findings demonstrate that cannabis dependence is linked to blunted striatal processing of non-drug rewards and suggest that these alterations may contribute to social processing deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaeli Zimmermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Xiyuan Ave 2006, 611731 Chengdu, China
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Dau
- Department of Addiction and Psychotherapy, LVR-Clinic Bonn, 53111 Bonn, Germany
| | - Markus Banger
- Department of Addiction and Psychotherapy, LVR-Clinic Bonn, 53111 Bonn, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernd Weber
- Department of Epileptology, Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Germany; Department of NeuroCognition, Life & Brain Center, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, 100875 Beijing, China
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Medical Psychology, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Xiyuan Ave 2006, 611731 Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used substance of abuse in the United States after alcohol and tobacco. With a recent increase in the rates of cannabis use disorder (CUD) and a decrease in the perceived risk of cannabis use, it is imperative to assess the addictive potential of cannabis. Here we evaluate cannabis use through the neurobiological model of addiction proposed by Koob and Volkow. The model proposes that repeated substance abuse drives neurobiological changes in the brain that can be separated into three distinct stages, each of which perpetuates the cycle of addiction. Here we review previous research on the acute and long-term effects of cannabis use on the brain and behavior, and find that the three-stage framework of addiction applies to CUD in a manner similar to other drugs of abuse, albeit with some slight differences. These findings highlight the urgent need to conduct research that elucidates specific neurobiological changes associated with CUD in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amna Zehra
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jamie Burns
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Christopher Kure Liu
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Peter Manza
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Corinde E Wiers
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive 31, Room B2L124, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ma L, Steinberg JL, Bjork JM, Keyser-Marcus L, Vassileva J, Zhu M, Ganapathy V, Wang Q, Boone EL, Ferré S, Bickel WK, Gerard Moeller F. Fronto-striatal effective connectivity of working memory in adults with cannabis use disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 278:21-34. [PMID: 29957349 PMCID: PMC6953485 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Previous working memory (WM) studies found that relative to controls, subjects with cannabis use disorder (CUD) showed greater brain activation in some regions (e.g., left [L] and right [R] ventrolateral prefrontal cortex [VLPFC], and L dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [L-DLPFC]), and lower activation in other regions (e.g., R-DLPFC). In this study, effective connectivity (EC) analysis was applied to functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquired from 23 CUD subjects and 23 controls (two groups matched for sociodemographic factors and substance use history) while performing an n-back WM task with interleaved 2-back and 0-back periods. A 2-back minus 0-back modulator was defined to measure the modulatory changes of EC corresponding to the 2-back relative to 0-back conditions. Compared to the controls, the CUD group showed smaller modulatory change in the R-DLPFC to L-caudate pathway, and greater modulatory changes in L-DLPFC to L-caudate, R-DLPFC to R-caudate, and R-VLPFC to L-caudate pathways. Based on previous fMRI studies consistently suggesting that greater brain activations are related to a compensatory mechanism for cannabis neural effects (less regional brain activations), the smaller modulatory change in the R-DLPFC to L-caudate EC may be compensated by the larger modulatory changes in the other prefrontal-striatal ECs in the CUD individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liangsuo Ma
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 203 East Cary Street, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23219, USA; Department of Radiology, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA.
| | - Joel L Steinberg
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 203 East Cary Street, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23219, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
| | - James M Bjork
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 203 East Cary Street, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23219, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Lori Keyser-Marcus
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 203 East Cary Street, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23219, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jasmin Vassileva
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 203 East Cary Street, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23219, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Min Zhu
- Radiology Department, Mu Dang Jiang Medical University, Mu Dang Jiang, Hei Long Jiang, China
| | - Venkatesh Ganapathy
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Edward L Boone
- Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Sergi Ferré
- Integrative Neurobiology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - F Gerard Moeller
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), 203 East Cary Street, Suite 202, Richmond, VA 23219, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, VCU, Richmond, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, VCU, Richmond, VA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Aloi J, Blair KS, Crum KI, Meffert H, White SF, Tyler PM, Thornton LC, Mobley AM, Killanin AD, Adams KO, Filbey F, Pope K, Blair RJR. Adolescents show differential dysfunctions related to Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder severity in emotion and executive attention neuro-circuitries. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 19:782-792. [PMID: 29988822 PMCID: PMC6031867 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol and cannabis are two substances that are commonly abused by adolescents in the United States and which, when abused, are associated with negative medical and psychiatric outcomes across the lifespan. These negative psychiatric outcomes may reflect the detrimental impact of substance abuse on neural systems mediating emotion processing and executive attention. However, work indicative of this has mostly been conducted either in animal models or adults with Alcohol and/or Cannabis Use Disorder (AUD/CUD). Little work has been conducted in adolescent patients. In this study, we used the Affective Stroop task to examine the relationship in 82 adolescents between AUD and/or CUD symptom severity and the functional integrity of neural systems mediating emotional processing and executive attention. We found that AUD symptom severity was positively related to amygdala responsiveness to emotional stimuli and negatively related to responsiveness within regions implicated in executive attention and response control (i.e., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, precuneus) as a function of task performance. In contrast, CUD symptom severity was unrelated to amygdala responsiveness but positively related to responsiveness within regions including precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, and inferior parietal lobule as a function of task performance. These data suggest differential impacts of alcohol and cannabis abuse on the adolescent brain. Alcohol and cannabis are the most widely abused substances by adolescents. AUDIT scores are related to amygdala hyperactivity to emotional stimuli. AUDIT scores are related to hypoactivity in executive attention neuro-circuitry. CUDIT scores are related to hyperactivity in executive attention neuro-circuitry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Aloi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States.
| | - Karina S Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Kathleen I Crum
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Harma Meffert
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Stuart F White
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Patrick M Tyler
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Laura C Thornton
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Alita M Mobley
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Abraham D Killanin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Kathryn O Adams
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Francesca Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Kayla Pope
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - R James R Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kaag AM, Schulte MHJ, Jansen JM, van Wingen G, Homberg J, van den Brink W, Wiers RW, Schmaal L, Goudriaan AE, Reneman L. The relation between gray matter volume and the use of alcohol, tobacco, cocaine and cannabis in male polysubstance users. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 187:186-194. [PMID: 29679913 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated gray matter (GM) volume abnormalities in substance users. While the majority of substance users are polysubstance users, very little is known about the relation between GM volume abnormalities and polysubstance use. METHODS In this study we assessed the relation between GM volume, and the use of alcohol, tobacco, cocaine and cannabis as well as the total number of substances used, in a sample of 169 males: 15 non-substance users, 89 moderate drinkers, 27 moderate drinkers who also smoke tobacco, 13 moderate drinkers who also smoke tobacco and use cocaine, 10 heavy drinkers who smoke tobacco and use cocaine and 15 heavy drinkers who smoke tobacco, cannabis and use cocaine. RESULTS Regression analyses showed that there was a negative relation between the number of substances used and volume of the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the ventral mPFC. Without controlling for the use of other substances, the volume of the dorsal mPFC was negatively associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine. After controlling for the use of other substances, a negative relation was found between tobacco and cocaine and volume of the thalami and ventrolateral PFC, respectively. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that mPFC alterations may not be substance-specific, but rather related to the number of substances used, whereas, thalamic and ventrolateral PFC pathology is specifically associated with tobacco and cocaine use, respectively. These findings are important, as the differential alterations in GM volume may underlie different cognitive deficits associated with substance use disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A M Kaag
- Addiction, Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - M H J Schulte
- Addiction, Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Departement of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J M Jansen
- Departement of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Leiden University, Faculty of Law, Institute for Criminal Law & Criminology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - G van Wingen
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Departement of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Homberg
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - W van den Brink
- Departement of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R W Wiers
- Addiction, Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Schmaal
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A E Goudriaan
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Departement of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Reneman
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Departement of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Manza P, Tomasi D, Volkow ND. Subcortical Local Functional Hyperconnectivity in Cannabis Dependence. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2017; 3:285-293. [PMID: 29486870 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis abuse (CA) has been associated with psychopathology, including negative emotionality and higher risk of psychosis, particularly with early age of initiation. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood. Because aberrant dopamine signaling is implicated in cannabis-associated psychopathology, we hypothesized that regular CA would be associated with altered resting-state functional connectivity in dopamine midbrain-striatal circuits. METHODS We examined resting-state brain activity of subcortical regions in 441 young adults from the Human Connectome Project, including 30 subjects with CA meeting DSM-IV criteria for dependence and 30 control subjects matched on age, sex, education, body mass index, anxiety, depression, and alcohol and tobacco usage. RESULTS Across all subjects, local functional connectivity density hubs in subcortical regions were most prominent in ventral striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, dorsal midbrain, and posterior-ventral brainstem. As hypothesized, subjects with CA showed markedly increased local functional connectivity density relative to control subjects, not only in ventral striatum (where nucleus accumbens is located) and midbrain (where substantia nigra and ventral tegmental nuclei are located) but also in brainstem and lateral thalamus. These effects were observed in the absence of significant differences in subcortical volumes and were most pronounced in individuals who began cannabis use earliest in life and who reported high levels of negative emotionality. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings suggest that chronic CA is associated with changes in resting-state brain function, particularly in dopaminergic nuclei implicated in psychosis but that are also critical for habit formation and reward processing. These results shed light on neurobiological differences that may be relevant to psychopathology associated with cannabis use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Manza
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Dardo Tomasi
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Murray RM, Englund A, Abi-Dargham A, Lewis DA, Di Forti M, Davies C, Sherif M, McGuire P, D'Souza DC. Cannabis-associated psychosis: Neural substrate and clinical impact. Neuropharmacology 2017. [PMID: 28634109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Prospective epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated that cannabis use is associated with an increased subsequent risk of both psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia-like psychoses. Early onset of use, daily use of high-potency cannabis, and synthetic cannabinoids carry the greatest risk. The risk-increasing effects are not explained by shared genetic predisposition between schizophrenia and cannabis use. Experimental studies in healthy humans show that cannabis and its active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can produce transient, dose-dependent, psychotic symptoms, as well as an array of psychosis-relevant behavioral, cognitive and psychophysiological effects; the psychotogenic effects can be ameliorated by cannabidiol (CBD). Findings from structural imaging studies in cannabis users have been inconsistent but functional MRI studies have linked the psychotomimetic and cognitive effects of THC to activation in brain regions implicated in psychosis. Human PET studies have shown that acute administration of THC weakly releases dopamine in the striatum but that chronic users are characterised by low striatal dopamine. We are beginning to understand how cannabis use impacts on the endocannabinoid system but there is much still to learn about the biological mechanisms underlying how cannabis increases risk of psychosis. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "A New Dawn in Cannabinoid Neurobiology".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R M Murray
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.
| | - A Englund
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - A Abi-Dargham
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
| | - D A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburg, PA, USA
| | - M Di Forti
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - C Davies
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - M Sherif
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, CT, USA
| | - P McGuire
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - D C D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bloomfield MAP, Mouchlianitis E, Morgan CJA, Freeman TP, Curran HV, Roiser JP, Howes OD. Salience attribution and its relationship to cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms. Psychol Med 2016; 46:3383-3395. [PMID: 27628967 PMCID: PMC5122315 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716002051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis is a widely used drug associated with increased risk for psychosis. The dopamine hypothesis of psychosis postulates that altered salience processing leads to psychosis. We therefore tested the hypothesis that cannabis users exhibit aberrant salience and explored the relationship between aberrant salience and dopamine synthesis capacity. METHOD We tested 17 cannabis users and 17 age- and sex-matched non-user controls using the Salience Attribution Test, a probabilistic reward-learning task. Within users, cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms were measured with the Psychotomimetic States Inventory. Dopamine synthesis capacity, indexed as the influx rate constant K i cer , was measured in 10 users and six controls with 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]fluoro-l-phenylalanine positron emission tomography. RESULTS There was no significant difference in aberrant salience between the groups [F 1,32 = 1.12, p = 0.30 (implicit); F 1,32 = 1.09, p = 0.30 (explicit)]. Within users there was a significant positive relationship between cannabis-induced psychotic symptom severity and explicit aberrant salience scores (r = 0.61, p = 0.04) and there was a significant association between cannabis dependency/abuse status and high implicit aberrant salience scores (F 1,15 = 5.8, p = 0.03). Within controls, implicit aberrant salience was inversely correlated with whole striatal dopamine synthesis capacity (r = -0.91, p = 0.01), whereas this relationship was non-significant within users (difference between correlations: Z = -2.05, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Aberrant salience is positively associated with cannabis-induced psychotic symptom severity, but is not seen in cannabis users overall. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the link between cannabis use and psychosis involves alterations in salience processing. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether these cognitive abnormalities are pre-existing or caused by long-term cannabis use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. A. P. Bloomfield
- Psychiatric Imaging Group,
MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Hammersmith
Hospital, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road,
London W12 0NN, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies,
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College
London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5
8AF, UK
- Division of Psychiatry,
University College London, 6th Floor Maple
House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T
7NF, UK
| | - E. Mouchlianitis
- Psychiatric Imaging Group,
MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Hammersmith
Hospital, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road,
London W12 0NN, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies,
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College
London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5
8AF, UK
| | - C. J. A. Morgan
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit,
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health
Psychology, University College London,
4th Floor, 1–19 Torrington Place,
London WC1E 7HB, UK
- Washington Singer Laboratories,
Department of Psychology, University of
Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - T. P. Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit,
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health
Psychology, University College London,
4th Floor, 1–19 Torrington Place,
London WC1E 7HB, UK
| | - H. V. Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit,
Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health
Psychology, University College London,
4th Floor, 1–19 Torrington Place,
London WC1E 7HB, UK
| | - J. P. Roiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience,
University College London, 17 Queen
Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - O. D. Howes
- Psychiatric Imaging Group,
MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Hammersmith
Hospital, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road,
London W12 0NN, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies,
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College
London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5
8AF, UK
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Leroy C, Karila L, Martinot JL, Lukasiewicz M, Duchesnay E, Comtat C, Dollé F, Benyamina A, Artiges E, Ribeiro MJ, Reynaud M, Trichard C. Striatal and extrastriatal dopamine transporter in cannabis and tobacco addiction: a high-resolution PET study. Addict Biol 2012; 17:981-90. [PMID: 21812871 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2011.00356.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine (DA) system is known to be involved in the reward and dependence mechanisms of addiction. However, modifications in dopaminergic neurotransmission associated with long-term tobacco and cannabis use have been poorly documented in vivo. In order to assess striatal and extrastriatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in tobacco and cannabis addiction, three groups of male age-matched subjects were compared: 11 healthy non-smoker subjects, 14 tobacco-dependent smokers (17.6 ± 5.3 cigarettes/day for 12.1 ± 8.5 years) and 13 cannabis and tobacco smokers (CTS) (4.8 ± 5.3 cannabis joints/day for 8.7 ± 3.9 years). DAT availability was examined in positron emission tomography (HRRT) with a high resolution research tomograph after injection of [11C]PE2I, a selective DAT radioligand. Region of interest and voxel-by-voxel approaches using a simplified reference tissue model were performed for the between-group comparison of DAT availability. Measurements in the dorsal striatum from both analyses were concordant and showed a mean 20% lower DAT availability in drug users compared with controls. Whole-brain analysis also revealed lower DAT availability in the ventral striatum, the midbrain, the middle cingulate and the thalamus (ranging from -15 to -30%). The DAT availability was slightly lower in all regions in CTS than in subjects who smoke tobacco only, but the difference does not reach a significant level. These results support the existence of a decrease in DAT availability associated with tobacco and cannabis addictions involving all dopaminergic brain circuits. These findings are consistent with the idea of a global decrease in cerebral DA activity in dependent subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire Leroy
- INSERM U1000 Research Unit 'Neuroimaging & Psychiatry', IFR49, Orsay, France.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Bhattacharyya S, Crippa JA, Martin-Santos R, Winton-Brown T, Fusar-Poli P. Imaging the neural effects of cannabinoids: current status and future opportunities for psychopharmacology. Curr Pharm Des 2009; 15:2603-14. [PMID: 19689331 DOI: 10.2174/138161209788957465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although recreational and medicinal use of cannabis has been known for many centuries, it is only in recent decades that it has again attracted considerable systematic attention because of its adverse psychological and potential beneficial effects. This has also been prompted by better understanding of the molecular targets of cannabinoids in the living organism. While cannabis has attracted the attention of mental health professionals because of accumulating evidence linking regular frequent use of cannabis to psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, neuroscientists and pharmacologists have focused their attention on the potential beneficial effects of cannabinoids in neuropsychiatric diseases. However, evidence regarding the neurobiological basis of these adverse psychological or potential beneficial effects has been mainly derived from pre-clinical research. Developments in neuroimaging modalities now offer the unique opportunity to examine in vivo how the different cannabinoids may act on the human brain to mediate their effects. In this review, we focus on research investigating the effects of cannabinoids in the human brain using neuroimaging techniques and explore how this adds to the current understanding about the pathophysiological correlates of psychotic disorders and points towards newer therapeutic candidates for psychotic and anxiety disorders. Further, we also discuss how combining neuroimaging and pharmacological challenge with cannabinoids may open up newer avenues for target identification and validation in psychopharmacology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Bhattacharyya
- Section of Neuroimaging, Box PO67, Division of Psychological Medicine & Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, UK.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Weinstein A, Brickner O, Lerman H, Greemland M, Bloch M, Lester H, Chisin R, Mechoulam R, Bar-Hamburger R, Freedman N, Even-Sapir E. Brain imaging study of the acute effects of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on attention and motor coordination in regular users of marijuana. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2008; 196:119-31. [PMID: 17899017 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0940-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2007] [Accepted: 09/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PROCEDURE Twelve regular users of marijuana underwent two positron emission tomography (PET) scans using [18F] Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), one while subject to the effects of 17 mg THC, the other without THC. In both sessions, a virtual reality maze task was performed during the FDG uptake period. RESULTS When subject to the effects of 17 mg THC, regular marijuana smokers hit the walls more often on the virtual maze task than without THC. Compared to results without THC, 17 mg THC increased brain metabolism during task performance in areas that are associated with motor coordination and attention in the middle and medial frontal cortices and anterior cingulate, and reduced metabolism in areas that are related to visual integration of motion in the occipital lobes. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that in regular marijuana users, the immediate effects of marijuana may impact on cognitive-motor skills and brain mechanisms that modulate coordinated movement and driving.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aviv Weinstein
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Abstract
Cannabis remains the most widely used illegal drug in the United States. This update examines the available literature on neuroimaging studies of the brains of cannabis users. The majority of studies examining the acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration used PET methods and concluded that administration of THC leads to increased activation in frontal and paralimbic regions and the cerebellum. These increases in activation are broadly consistent with the behavioral effects of the drug. Although there is only equivocal evidence that chronic cannabis use might result in structural brain changes, blood-oxygenation-level-dependent-fMRI studies in chronic users consistently show alterations, or neuroadaptation, in the activation of brain networks responsible for higher cognitive functions. It is not yet certain whether these changes are reversible with abstinence. Given the high prevalence of cannabis use among adolescents, studies are needed to evaluate whether cannabis use might affect the developing brain. Considerable further work, employing longitudinal designs, is also required to determine whether cannabis use causes permanent functional alterations in the brains of adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Chang
- Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813,
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Eldreth DA, Matochik JA, Cadet JL, Bolla KI. Abnormal brain activity in prefrontal brain regions in abstinent marijuana users. Neuroimage 2005; 23:914-20. [PMID: 15528091 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2003] [Revised: 06/30/2004] [Accepted: 07/07/2004] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We used PET (15)O and a modified version of the Stroop task to determine if 25-day abstinent heavy marijuana (MJ) users have persistent deficits in executive cognitive functioning (ECF) and brain activity. Performance on a modified version of the Stroop task and brain activity was compared between 25-day abstinent, heavy marijuana users (n = 11), and a matched comparison group (n = 11). The 25-day abstinent marijuana users showed no deficits in performance on the modified version of the Stroop task when compared to the comparison group. Despite the lack of performance differences, the marijuana users showed hypoactivity in the left perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the left lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and hyperactivity in the hippocampus bilaterally, when compared to the comparison group. These results suggest that marijuana users display persistent metabolic alterations in brain regions responsible for ECF. It may be that marijuana users recruit an alternative neural network as a compensatory mechanism during performance on a modified version of the Stroop task. These differences in brain activity may be a common denominator in the evolution of maladaptive behaviors such as substance abuse and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana A Eldreth
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bayview Medical Center, 4940 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Voytek B, Berman SM, Hassid BD, Simon SL, Mandelkern MA, Brody AL, Monterosso J, Ling W, London ED. Differences in regional brain metabolism associated with marijuana abuse in methamphetamine abusers. Synapse 2005; 57:113-5. [PMID: 15906384 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Voytek
- Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
Twelve male patients with chronic drug consumption including cannabis (ICD = 304.3) and morphine (ICD = 304.7), who required inpatient treatment for drug-induced paranoid hallucinatory states (ICD = 292.1) were investigated using computed tomography for macroscopic structural changes in the brain. The findings were compared with those in a control group of schizophrenic patients who did not consume drugs. The brain scans were measured and not show any significant morphological differences between the two groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- G A Wiesbeck
- Psychiatrische Klinik des Buergerhospitals, Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Federal Republic of Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|