1
|
Esmaeili A, Dismuke-Greer C, Pogoda TK, Amuan ME, Garcia C, Del Negro A, Myers M, Kennedy E, Cifu D, Pugh MJ. Cannabis use disorder contributes to cognitive dysfunction in Veterans with traumatic brain injury. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1261249. [PMID: 38292293 PMCID: PMC10824930 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1261249] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background While emerging evidence supports a link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and progressive cognitive dysfunction in Veterans, there is insufficient information on the impact of cannabis use disorder (CUD) on long-term cognitive disorders. This study aimed to examine the incidences of cognitive disorders in Veterans with TBI and CUD and to evaluate their relationship. Methods This retrospective cohort study used the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense administrative data from the Long-term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium Phenotype study. Diagnoses suggesting cognitive disorders after a TBI index date were identified using inpatient and outpatient data from 2003 to 2022. We compared the differential cognitive disorders incidence in Veterans who had the following: (1) no CUD or TBI (control group), (2) CUD only, (3) TBI only, and (4) comorbid CUD+TBI. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to estimate the overall cognitive disorders incidence in the above study groups. The crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for cognitive disorders. Results A total of 1,560,556 Veterans [82.32% male, median (IQR) age at the time of TBI, 34.51 (11.29) years, and 61.35% white] were evaluated. The cognitive disorder incidence rates were estimated as 0.68 (95% CI, 0.62, 0.75) for CUD only and 1.03 (95% CI, 1.00, 1.06) for TBI only per 10,000 person-months of observations, with the highest estimated cognitive disorder incidence observed in participants with both TBI and CUD [1.83 (95% CI, 1.72, 1.95)]. Relative to the control group, the highest hazard of cognitive disorders was observed in Veterans with CUD+TBI [hazard ratio (HR), 3.26; 95% CI, 2.91, 3.65], followed by those with TBI only (2.32; 95 CI%, 2.13, 2.53) and with CUD (1.79; 95 CI%, 1.60, 2.00). Of note, in the CUD only subgroup, we also observed the highest risk of an early onset cognitive disorder other than Alzheimer's disease and Frontotemporal dementia. Discussion The results of this analysis suggest that individuals with comorbid TBI and CUD may be at increased risk for early onset cognitive disorders, including dementia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Esmaeili
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Clara Dismuke-Greer
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Terri K. Pogoda
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Megan E. Amuan
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Carla Garcia
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Ariana Del Negro
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Maddy Myers
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Eamonn Kennedy
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - David Cifu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Mary Jo Pugh
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Esmaeili A, Pogoda TK, Amuan ME, Garcia C, Del Negro A, Myers M, Pugh MJ, Cifu D, Dismuke-Greer C. The economic impact of cannabis use disorder and dementia diagnosis in veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. Front Neurol 2024; 14:1261144. [PMID: 38283672 PMCID: PMC10811113 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1261144] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Studies have demonstrated that individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently use medical and recreational cannabis to treat persistent symptoms of TBI, such as chronic pain and sleep disturbances, which can lead to cannabis use disorder (CUD). We aimed to determine the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) healthcare utilization and costs associated with CUD and dementia diagnosis in veterans with TBI. Methods This observational study used administrative datasets from the population of post-9/11 veterans from the Long-term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium and the VA Data Warehouse. We compared the differential VHA costs among the following cohorts of veterans: (1) No dementia diagnosis and No CUD group, (2) Dementia diagnosis only (Dementia only), (3) CUD only, and (4) comorbid dementia diagnosis and CUD (Dementia and CUD). Generalized estimating equations and negative binomial regression models were used to estimate total annual costs (inflation-adjusted) and the incidence rate of healthcare utilization, respectively, by dementia diagnosis and CUD status. Results Data from 387,770 veterans with TBI (88.4% men; median [interquartile range (IQR)] age at the time of TBI: 30 [14] years; 63.5% white) were followed from 2000 to 2020. Overall, we observed a trend of gradually increasing healthcare costs 5 years after TBI onset. Interestingly, in this cohort of veterans within 5 years of TBI, we observed substantial healthcare costs in the Dementia only group (peak = $46,808) that were not observed in the CUD and dementia group. Relative to those without either condition, the annual total VHA costs were $3,368 higher in the CUD only group, while no significant differences were observed in the Dementia only and Dementia and CUD groups. Discussion The findings suggest that those in the Dementia only group might be getting their healthcare needs met more quickly and within 5 years of TBI diagnosis, whereas veterans in the Dementia and CUD group are not receiving early care, resulting in higher long-term healthcare costs. Further investigations should examine what impact the timing of dementia and CUD diagnoses have on specific categories of inpatient and outpatient care in VA and community care facilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Esmaeili
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Terri K. Pogoda
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Megan E. Amuan
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Carla Garcia
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Ariana Del Negro
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Maddy Myers
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mary Jo Pugh
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - David Cifu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Clara Dismuke-Greer
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yan H, Xiao S, Fu S, Gong J, Qi Z, Chen G, Chen P, Tang G, Su T, Yang Z, Wang Y. Functional and structural brain abnormalities in substance use disorder: A multimodal meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2023; 147:345-359. [PMID: 36807120 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13539] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Numerous neuroimaging studies of resting-state functional imaging and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) have revealed that patients with substance use disorder (SUD) may present brain abnormalities, but their results were inconsistent. This multimodal neuroimaging meta-analysis aimed to estimate common and specific alterations in SUD patients by combining information from all available studies of spontaneous functional activity and gray matter volume (GMV). METHODS A whole-brain meta-analysis on resting-state functional imaging and VBM studies was conducted using the Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images (SDM-PSI) software, followed by multimodal overlapping to comprehensively investigate function and structure of the brain in SUD. RESULTS In this meta-analysis, 39 independent studies with 47 datasets related to resting-state functional brain activity (1444 SUD patients; 1446 healthy controls [HCs]) were included, as well as 77 studies with 89 datasets for GMV (3457 SUD patients; 3774 HCs). Patients with SUD showed the decreased resting-state functional brain activity in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex (ACC/mPFC). For the VBM meta-analysis, patients with SUD showed the reduced GMV in the bilateral ACC/mPFC, insula, thalamus extending to striatum, and left sensorimotor cortex. CONCLUSIONS This multimodal meta-analysis exhibited that SUD shows common impairment in both function and structure in the ACC/mPFC, suggesting that the deficits in functional and structural domains could be correlated together. In addition, a few regions exhibited only structural impairment in SUD, including the insula, thalamus, striatum, and sensorimotor areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yan
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shu Xiao
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siying Fu
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaying Gong
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Radiology, Six Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhangzhang Qi
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guanmao Chen
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pan Chen
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guixian Tang
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Su
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zibin Yang
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Medical Imaging Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Molecular and Functional Imaging, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lichenstein SD, Manco N, Cope LM, Egbo L, Garrison KA, Hardee J, Hillmer AT, Reeder K, Stern EF, Worhunsky P, Yip SW. Systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of cannabis use in adolescence and emerging adulthood: evidence from 90 studies and 9441 participants. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1000-1028. [PMID: 34839363 PMCID: PMC8938408 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use peaks in adolescence, and adolescents may be more vulnerable to the neural effects of cannabis and cannabis-related harms due to ongoing brain development during this period. In light of ongoing cannabis policy changes, increased availability, reduced perceptions of harm, heightened interest in medicinal applications of cannabis, and drastic increases in cannabis potency, it is essential to establish an understanding of cannabis effects on the developing adolescent brain. This systematic review aims to: (1) synthesize extant literature on functional and structural neural alterations associated with cannabis use during adolescence and emerging adulthood; (2) identify gaps in the literature that critically impede our ability to accurately assess the effect of cannabis on adolescent brain function and development; and (3) provide recommendations for future research to bridge these gaps and elucidate the mechanisms underlying cannabis-related harms in adolescence and emerging adulthood, with the long-term goal of facilitating the development of improved prevention, early intervention, and treatment approaches targeting adolescent cannabis users (CU). Based on a systematic search of Medline and PsycInfo and other non-systematic sources, we identified 90 studies including 9441 adolescents and emerging adults (n = 3924 CU, n = 5517 non-CU), which provide preliminary evidence for functional and structural alterations in frontoparietal, frontolimbic, frontostriatal, and cerebellar regions among adolescent cannabis users. Larger, more rigorous studies are essential to reconcile divergent results, assess potential moderators of cannabis effects on the developing brain, disentangle risk factors for use from consequences of exposure, and elucidate the extent to which cannabis effects are reversible with abstinence. Guidelines for conducting this work are provided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nick Manco
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lora M Cope
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Leslie Egbo
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA
| | | | - Jillian Hardee
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ansel T Hillmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristen Reeder
- Department of Internal Medicine, East Carolina University/Vidant Medical Center, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Elisa F Stern
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Patrick Worhunsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sarah W Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
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
|
Shi L, Wang Y, Li C, Zhang K, Du Q, Zhao M. AddictGene: An integrated knowledge base for differentially expressed genes associated with addictive substance. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2416-2422. [PMID: 34025933 PMCID: PMC8113760 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction, a disorder of maladaptive brain plasticity, is associated with changes in numerous gene expressions. Nowadays, high-throughput sequencing data on addictive substance-induced gene expression have become widely available. A resource for comprehensive annotation of genes that show differential expression in response to commonly abused substances is necessary. So, we developed AddictGene by integrating gene expression, gene-gene interaction, gene-drug interaction and epigenetic regulatory annotation for over 70,156 items of differentially expressed genes associated with 7 commonly abused substances, including alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, morphine, heroin, methamphetamine, and amphetamine, across three species (human, mouse, rat). We also collected 1,141 addiction-related experimentally validated genes by techniques such as RT-PCR, northern blot and in situ hybridization. The easy-to-use web interface of AddictGene (http://159.226.67.237/sun/addictgedb/) allows users to search and browse multidimensional data on DEGs of their interest: 1) detailed gene-specific information extracted from the original studies; 2) basic information about the specific gene extracted from NCBI; 3) SNP associated with substance dependence and other psychiatry disorders; 4) expression alteration of specific gene in other psychiatric disorders; 5) expression patterns of interested gene across 31 primary and 54 secondary human tissues; 6) functional annotation of interested gene; 7) epigenetic regulators involved in the alteration of specific genes, including histone modifications and DNA methylation; 8) protein-protein interaction for functional linkage with interested gene; 9) drug-gene interaction for potential druggability. AddictGene offers a valuable repository for researchers to study the molecular mechanisms underlying addiction, and might provide valuable insights into potential therapies for drug abuse and relapse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leisheng Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Yan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chong Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Kunlin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Quansheng Du
- Department of Life Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Mei Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
There is a growing body of evidence pointing to the co-occurrence of cannabis use and depression. There is also some evidence that the use of cannabis may lead to the onset of depression; however, strong evidence points to the inverse association; i.e. that depression may lead to the onset or increase in cannabis use frequency. Observational and epidemiological studies have not indicated a positive long-term effect of cannabis use on the course and outcome of depression. The association between cannabis use and depression may be stronger among men during adolescence and emerging adulthood and stronger in women during midlife. There is an indication for potential genetic correlation contributing to the comorbidity of cannabis dependence and major depression, namely that serotonin (5-HT) may mediate such association and there is also evidence for specific risk alleles for cannabis addiction. There is preclinical evidence that alteration in the endocannabinoid system could potentially benefit patients suffering from depression. However, the issue of using cannabis as an anti-depressant is at an early stage of examination and there is little evidence to support it. Finally, there has been little support to the notion that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be effective in decreasing depressive symptoms or rates of substance use in adolescents treated for depression and a co-occurring substance use disorder. In conclusion, despite methodological limitations, research in the past decades has broadened our knowledge on the association between cannabis use and depression from epidemiological, neurological, genetic, and pharmacological perspectives.
Collapse
|
8
|
Chye Y, Kirkham R, Lorenzetti V, McTavish E, Solowij N, Yücel M. Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Brain Morphology: A Review of the Evidence. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2020; 6:627-635. [PMID: 32948510 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis and cannabinoid-based products are increasingly being accepted and commodified globally. Yet there is currently limited understanding of the effect of the varied cannabinoid compounds on the brain. Exogenous cannabinoids interact with the endogenous cannabinoid system that underpins vital functions in the brain and body, and they are thought to perturb key brain and cognitive function. However, much neuroimaging research has been confined to observational studies of cannabis users, without examining the specific role of the various cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, etc.). This review summarizes the brain structural imaging evidence to date associated with cannabis use, its major cannabinoids (e.g., Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol), and synthetic cannabinoid products that have emerged as recreational drugs. In doing so, we seek to highlight some of the key issues to consider in understanding cannabinoid-related brain effects, emphasizing the dual neurotoxic and neuroprotective role of cannabinoids, and the need to consider the distinct role of the varied cannabinoids in establishing their effect on the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebecca Kirkham
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eugene McTavish
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia; Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Navarri X, Afzali MH, Lavoie J, Sinha R, Stein DJ, Momenan R, Veltman DJ, Korucuoglu O, Sjoerds Z, Holst RJ, Hester R, Orr C, Cousijn J, Yucel M, Lorenzetti V, Wiers R, Jahanshad N, Glahn DC, Thompson PM, Mackey S, Conrod PJ. How do substance use disorders compare to other psychiatric conditions on structural brain abnormalities? A cross‐disorder meta‐analytic comparison using the
ENIGMA
consortium findings. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 43:399-413. [PMID: 32643841 PMCID: PMC8675406 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Navarri
- Department of PsychiatryUniversité de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, CHU Ste‐Justine Montreal Canada
| | - Mohammad H. Afzali
- Department of PsychiatryUniversité de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, CHU Ste‐Justine Montreal Canada
| | - Jacob Lavoie
- Department of PsychiatryUniversité de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, CHU Ste‐Justine Montreal Canada
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of PsychiatryYale University School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Dan J. Stein
- SAMRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Reza Momenan
- National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Bethesda Maryland USA
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of PsychiatryAmsterdam UMC location VUMC Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Ozlem Korucuoglu
- Addiction, Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab, Department of PsychologyUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Zsuzsika Sjoerds
- Cognitive Psychology Unit & Leiden Institute for Brain & CognitionInstitute of Psychology, Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Ruth J. Holst
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Department of PsychiatryAmsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Rob Hester
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne Melbourne Australia
| | - Catherine Orr
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Vermont Burlington Vermont USA
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Vermont Burlington Vermont USA
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Murat Yucel
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University Monash Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Brain and Mental Health Research HubMonash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University Melbourne Australia
| | - Reinout Wiers
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles California USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Infomatics, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern California Marina del Rey California USA
| | - David C. Glahn
- Department of PsychiatryYale University School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Infomatics, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern California Marina del Rey California USA
| | - Scott Mackey
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Vermont Burlington Vermont USA
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Vermont Burlington Vermont USA
| | - Patricia J. Conrod
- Department of PsychiatryUniversité de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, CHU Ste‐Justine Montreal Canada
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ma Y, Li J, Xu Y, Wang Y, Yao Y, Liu Q, Wang M, Zhao X, Fan R, Chen J, Zhang B, Cai Z, Han H, Yang Z, Yuan W, Zhong Y, Chen X, Ma JZ, Payne TJ, Xu Y, Ning Y, Cui W, Li MD. Identification of 34 genes conferring genetic and pharmacological risk for the comorbidity of schizophrenia and smoking behaviors. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:2169-2225. [PMID: 32012119 PMCID: PMC7041787 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of smoking is significantly higher in persons with schizophrenia (SCZ) than in the general population. However, the biological mechanisms of the comorbidity of smoking and SCZ are largely unknown. This study aimed to reveal shared biological pathways for the two diseases by analyzing data from two genome-wide association studies with a total sample size of 153,898. With pathway-based analysis, we first discovered 18 significantly enriched pathways shared by SCZ and smoking, which were classified into five groups: postsynaptic density, cadherin binding, dendritic spine, long-term depression, and axon guidance. Then, by using an integrative analysis of genetic, epigenetic, and expression data, we found not only 34 critical genes (e.g., PRKCZ, ARHGEF3, and CDKN1A) but also various risk-associated SNPs in these genes, which convey susceptibility to the comorbidity of the two disorders. Finally, using both in vivo and in vitro data, we demonstrated that the expression profiles of the 34 genes were significantly altered by multiple psychotropic drugs. Together, this multi-omics study not only reveals target genes for new drugs to treat SCZ but also reveals new insights into the shared genetic vulnerabilities of SCZ and smoking behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yinghao Yao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Maiqiu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinyi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Rongli Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiali Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhen Cai
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haijun Han
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongli Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenji Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yigang Zhong
- Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangning Chen
- Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Jennie Z Ma
- , Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Thomas J Payne
- Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Yizhou Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuping Ning
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenyan Cui
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ming D Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Research Center for Air Pollution and Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Chye Y, Suo C, Lorenzetti V, Batalla A, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Martin-Santos R, Whittle S, Solowij N, Yücel M. Cortical surface morphology in long-term cannabis users: A multi-site MRI study. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:257-265. [PMID: 30558823 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.11.1110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis exerts its psychoactive effect through cannabinoid receptors that are widely distributed across the cortical surface of the human brain. It is suggested that cannabis use may contribute to structural alterations across the cortical surface. In a large, multisite dataset of 120 controls and 141 cannabis users, we examined whether differences in key characteristics of the cortical surface - including cortical thickness, surface area, and gyrification index were related to cannabis use characteristics, including (i) cannabis use vs. non-use, (ii) cannabis dependence vs. non-dependence vs. non-use, and (iii) early adolescent vs. late adolescent onset of cannabis use vs. non-use. Our results revealed that cortical morphology was not associated with cannabis use, dependence, or onset age. The lack of effect of regular cannabis use, including problematic use, on cortical structure in our study is contrary to previous evidence of cortical morphological alterations (particularly in relation to cannabis dependence and cannabis onset age) in cannabis users. Careful reevaluation of the evidence on cannabis-related harm will be necessary to address concerns surrounding the long-term effects of cannabis use and inform policies in a changing cannabis regulation climate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Chye
- Brain and Mental Health Research Hub, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- Brain and Mental Health Research Hub, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Brain and Mental Health Research Hub, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arkin Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia; The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE), New Lambton Heights, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Research Hub, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chye Y, Lorenzetti V, Suo C, Batalla A, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Jenkinson M, Martin‐Santos R, Whittle S, Yücel M, Solowij N. Alteration to hippocampal volume and shape confined to cannabis dependence: a multi-site study. Addict Biol 2019; 24:822-834. [PMID: 30022573 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use is highly prevalent and often considered to be relatively harmless. Nonetheless, a subset of regular cannabis users may develop dependence, experiencing poorer quality of life and greater mental health problems relative to non-dependent users. The neuroanatomy characterizing cannabis use versus dependence is poorly understood. We aimed to delineate the contributing role of cannabis use and dependence on morphology of the hippocampus, one of the most consistently altered brain regions in cannabis users, in a large multi-site dataset aggregated across four research sites. We compared hippocampal volume and vertex-level hippocampal shape differences (1) between 121 non-using controls and 140 cannabis users; (2) between 106 controls, 50 non-dependent users and 70 dependent users; and (3) between a subset of 41 controls, 41 non-dependent users and 41 dependent users, matched on sample characteristics and cannabis use pattern (onset age and dosage). Cannabis users did not differ from controls in hippocampal volume or shape. However, cannabis-dependent users had significantly smaller right and left hippocampi relative to controls and non-dependent users, irrespective of cannabis dosage. Shape analysis indicated localized deflations in the superior-medial body of the hippocampus. Our findings support neuroscientific theories postulating dependence-specific neuroadaptations in cannabis users. Future efforts should uncover the neurobiological risk and liabilities separating dependent and non-dependent use of cannabis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Chye
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological SciencesMonash University Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological SciencesMonash University Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre with School of PsychologyFaculty of Health, Australian Catholic University Australia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Health and SocietyThe University of Liverpool UK
| | - Chao Suo
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological SciencesMonash University Australia
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Medical Centre The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of NeuroscienceUniversity of Barcelona Spain
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental PsychologyUniversity of Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Anna E. Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical CentreUniversity of Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Arkin Mental Health Care The Netherlands
| | - Mark Jenkinson
- FMRIB Centre, John Radcliffe HospitalUniversity of Oxford UK
| | - Rocio Martin‐Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of NeuroscienceUniversity of Barcelona Spain
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Melbourne Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological SciencesMonash University Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research InstituteUniversity of Wollongong Australia
- The Australian Centre for Cannabinoid Clinical and Research Excellence (ACRE) Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lorenzetti V, Chye Y, Silva P, Solowij N, Roberts CA. Does regular cannabis use affect neuroanatomy? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of structural neuroimaging studies. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2019; 269:59-71. [PMID: 30706169 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-019-00979-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [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: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Regular cannabis use is associated with adverse cognitive and mental health outcomes that have been ascribed to aberrant neuroanatomy in brain regions densely innervated with cannabinoid receptors. Neuroanatomical differences between cannabis users and controls have been assessed in multiple structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies. However, there is heterogeneity in the results leading to cautious interpretation of the data so far. We examined the sMRI evidence to date in human cannabis users, to establish more definitely whether neuroanatomical alterations are associated with regular cannabis use. The regional specificity and association with cannabis use indices (i.e. cumulative dosage, duration) were also explored. We systematically reviewed and meta-analysed published sMRI studies investigating regional brain volumes (cortical, subcortical and global) in cannabis users and non-user controls. Three electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO). A total of 17 meta-analyses were conducted (one for each cortical, subcortical and global volume) using the generic inverse variance method, whereby standardised mean difference in volume was calculated between users and non-users. Exploratory meta-regressions were conducted to investigate the association between cannabis use indices and regional brain volumes. A total of 30 articles were eligible for inclusion, contributing 106 effect sizes across 17 meta-analyses. Regular cannabis users had significantly smaller volumes of the hippocampus (SMD = 0.14, 95% CIs [0.02, 0.27]; Z = 2.29, p = 0.02, I2 = 74%) and orbitofrontal cortex {medial (SMD = 0.30, 95% CIs [0.15, 0.45]; Z = 3.89, p = 0.0001, I2 = 51%), lateral (SMD = 0.19, 95% CIs [0.07, 0.32]; Z = 3.10, p = 0.002, I2 = 26%)} relative to controls. The volumes of the hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex were not significantly associated with cannabis duration and dosage. Our findings are consistent with evidence of aberrance in brain regions involved in reward, learning and memory, and motivation circuits in the regular use of substances other than cannabis, pointing to commonality in neurobiological abnormalities between regular users of cannabis and of other substances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Daniel Mannix building, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.
| | - Yann Chye
- Brain and Mental Health Research Hub, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Pedro Silva
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Carl A Roberts
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Vaessen TSJ, de Jong L, Schäfer AT, Damen T, Uittenboogaard A, Krolinski P, Nwosu CV, Pinckaers FME, Rotee ILM, Smeets APW, Ermiş A, Kennedy JL, Nieman DH, Tiwari A, van Os J, Drukker M. The interaction between cannabis use and the Val158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene in psychosis: A transdiagnostic meta - analysis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192658. [PMID: 29444152 PMCID: PMC5812637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neither environmental nor genetic factors are sufficient to predict the transdiagnostic expression of psychosis. Therefore, analysis of gene-environment interactions may be productive. OBJECTIVE A meta-analysis was performed using papers investigating the interaction between cannabis use and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) polymorphism Val158Met (COMTVal158Met). DATA SOURCES PubMed, Embase, PsychInfo. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA All observational studies assessing the interaction between COMTVal158Met and cannabis with any psychosis or psychotic symptoms measure as an outcome. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS A meta-analysis was performed using the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines and forest plots were generated. Thirteen articles met the selection criteria: 7 clinical studies using a case-only design, 3 clinical studies with a dichotomous outcome, and 3 studies analysing a continuous outcome of psychotic symptoms below the threshold of psychotic disorder. The three study types were analysed separately. Validity of the included studies was assessed using "A Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool: for Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions". RESULTS For case-only studies, a significant interaction was found between cannabis use and COMTVal158Met, with an OR of 1.45 (95% Confidence Interval = 1.05-2.00; Met/Met as the risk genotype). However, there was no evidence for interaction in either the studies including dichotomous outcomes (B = -0.51, 95% Confidence Interval -1.72, 0.70) or the studies including continuous outcomes (B = -0.04 95% Confidence Interval -0.16-0.08). LIMITATION A substantial part of the included studies used the case-only design, which has lower validity and tends to overestimate true effects. CONCLUSION The interaction term between cannabis use and COMTVal158Met was only statistically significant in the case-only studies, but not in studies using other clinical or non-clinical psychosis outcomes. Future additional high quality studies might change current perspectives, yet currently evidence for the interaction remains unconvincing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lea de Jong
- Student Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Annika Theresia Schäfer
- Student Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Damen
- Student Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aniek Uittenboogaard
- Student Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Pauline Krolinski
- Student Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Chinyere Vicky Nwosu
- Student Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Iris Leah Marije Rotee
- Student Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ayşegül Ermiş
- Department of Psychiatry, Bakirkoy Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - James L. Kennedy
- Neurogenetics Section, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dorien H. Nieman
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arun Tiwari
- Neurogenetics Section, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department Psychiatry, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- King's College London, King's Health Partners Department of Psychosis Studies; Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marjan Drukker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Batalla A, Lorenzetti V, Chye Y, Yücel M, Soriano-Mas C, Bhattacharyya S, Torrens M, Crippa JAS, Martín-Santos R. The Influence of DAT1, COMT, and BDNF Genetic Polymorphisms on Total and Subregional Hippocampal Volumes in Early Onset Heavy Cannabis Users. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2018; 3:1-10. [PMID: 29404409 PMCID: PMC5797324 DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Hippocampal neuroanatomy is affected by genetic variations in dopaminergic candidate genes and environmental insults, such as early onset of chronic cannabis exposure. Here, we examine how hippocampal total and subregional volumes are affected by cannabis use and functional polymorphisms of dopamine-relevant genes, including the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine transporter (DAT1), and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes. Material and Methods: We manually traced total hippocampal volumes and automatically segmented hippocampal subregions using high-resolution MRI images, and performed COMT, DAT1, and BDNF genotyping in 59 male Caucasian young adults aged 18–30 years. These included 30 chronic cannabis users with early-onset (regular use at <16 years) and 29 age-, education-, and intelligence-matched controls. Results: Cannabis use and dopaminergic gene polymorphism had both distinct and interactive effects on the hippocampus. We found emerging alterations of hippocampal total and specific subregional volumes in cannabis users relative to controls (i.e., CA1, CA2/3, and CA4), and associations between cannabis use levels and total and specific subregional volumes. Furthermore, total hippocampal volume and the fissure subregion were affected by cannabis×DAT1 polymorphism (i.e., 9/9R and in 10/10R alleles), reflecting high and low levels of dopamine availability. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cannabis exposure alters the normal relationship between DAT1 polymorphism and the anatomy of total and subregional hippocampal volumes, and that specific hippocampal subregions may be particularly affected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Nijmegen Institute for Scientist-Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- School of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology Health and Society, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Laboratory for Brain and Mental Health, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Yann Chye
- Laboratory for Brain and Mental Health, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Laboratory for Brain and Mental Health, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, CIBERSAM G-17, and Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Torrens
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions, Hospital del Mar, IMIM (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques), Psychiatric Department of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José A S Crippa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rocío Martín-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions, Hospital del Mar, IMIM (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques), Psychiatric Department of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Chye Y, Solowij N, Ganella EP, Suo C, Yücel M, Batalla A, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Martin-Santos R, Whittle S, Bartholomeusz CF, Lorenzetti V. Role of orbitofrontal sulcogyral pattern on lifetime cannabis use and depressive symptoms. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79:392-400. [PMID: 28734940 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) sulcogyral patterns are stable morphological variations established early in life. They consist of three distinct pattern types, with Type III in particular being associated with poor regulatory control (e.g., high sensation seeking and negative emotionality, low constraint), which may confer risk for earlier onset of cannabis (CB) use and greater use in later life. The OFC sulcogyral pattern may therefore be a stable trait marker in understanding individual differences in substance-use vulnerability and associated affective disturbances in users. In a large multisite cross-sectional study, we compared OFC pattern type distribution between 128 healthy controls (HC) and 146 CB users. Within users (n=140), we explored the association between OFC pattern type and CB use level, and subsequently if level of CB use informed by OFC pattern type may mediate disturbances in affective tone, as indexed by depressive symptoms. While OFC pattern distribution did not distinguish between HC and CB groups, it informed greater lifetime use within users. Specifically, CB users with pattern Type III in the right OFC tended to use more CB over their lifetime, than did CB users with pattern Type I or II. Greater lifetime CB use was subsequently associated with higher depressive symptoms, such that it mediated an indirect association between right OFC pattern Type III and higher depressive symptoms. The present study provides evidence for neurobiological differences, specifically sulcogyral pattern of the OFC, to modulate level of CB use, which may subsequently influence the expression of depressive symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Chye
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Eleni P Ganella
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Victoria, Australia; Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Arkin Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Cali F Bartholomeusz
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Victoria, Australia; Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chye Y, Solowij N, Suo C, Batalla A, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Martin-Santos R, Whittle S, Lorenzetti V, Yücel M. Orbitofrontal and caudate volumes in cannabis users: a multi-site mega-analysis comparing dependent versus non-dependent users. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1985-1995. [PMID: 28364340 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4606-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cannabis (CB) use and dependence are associated with regionally specific alterations to brain circuitry and substantial psychosocial impairment. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to investigate the association between CB use and dependence, and the volumes of brain regions critically involved in goal-directed learning and behaviour-the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and caudate. METHODS In the largest multi-site structural imaging study of CB users vs healthy controls (HC), 140 CB users and 121 HC were recruited from four research sites. Group differences in OFC and caudate volumes were investigated between HC and CB users and between 70 dependent (CB-dep) and 50 non-dependent (CB-nondep) users. The relationship between quantity of CB use and age of onset of use and caudate and OFC volumes was explored. RESULTS CB users (consisting of CB-dep and CB-nondep) did not significantly differ from HC in OFC or caudate volume. CB-dep compared to CB-nondep users exhibited significantly smaller volume in the medial and the lateral OFC. Lateral OFC volume was particularly smaller in CB-dep females, and reduced volume in the CB-dep group was associated with higher monthly cannabis dosage. CONCLUSIONS Smaller medial OFC volume may be driven by CB dependence-related mechanisms, while smaller lateral OFC volume may be due to ongoing exposure to cannabinoid compounds. The results highlight a distinction between cannabis use and dependence and warrant examination of gender-specific effects in studies of CB dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yann Chye
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Arkin Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia.
- School of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
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
|
19
|
Abstract
Background:
Laterality of brain activation is reported for tests of risk factors of addiction - impulsivity and craving - but authors rarely address the potential significance of those asymmetries. Objective:
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate this laterality and discuss its relevance to cognitive and neurophysiological asymmetries associated with drug abuse vulnerability in order to provide new insights for future research in drug abuse. Method:
From published reports, brain areas of activation for two tests of response inhibition or craving for drugs of abuse were compiled from fMRI activation peaks and were tabulated for eight sections (octants) in each hemisphere. Percent asymmetries were calculated (R-L/R+L) across studies for each area. Results:
For impulsivity, most activation peaks favored the right hemisphere. Overall, the percent difference was 32% (Χ2 = 16.026; p < 0.0001) with the greater asymmetry for anterior peaks (46.8%; Χ2 = 17.329; p < 0.0001). The asymmetries for cue-induced craving were opposite, favoring the left hemisphere by 6.7% (Χ2 = 4.028; p < 0.05). The consistency of left asymmetry was found for almost all drugs. For nicotine, studies where subjects were not allowed to smoke (deprived) prior to measurement had the same left hemisphere activation but those who smoked (satiated) before the fMRI measure showed right asymmetry. Conclusion:
Brain activation studies demonstrate different left/right hemispheric contributions for impulsivity versus craving - factors related to addiction. Failure to take laterality into consideration is a missed opportunity in designing studies and gaining insight into the etiology of drug abuse and pathways for treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harold W Gordon
- Epidemiology Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research (DESPR), National Institute on Drug Abuse, The Neuroscience Center, Room 5151, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892-9593, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
The past few decades have seen a marked change in the composition of commonly smoked cannabis. These changes primarily involve an increase of the psychoactive compound ∆(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and a decrease of the potentially therapeutic compound cannabidiol (CBD). This altered composition of cannabis may be linked to persistent neuroanatomic alterations typically seen in regular cannabis users. In this review, we summarize recent findings from human structural neuroimaging investigations. We examine whether neuroanatomic alterations are 1) consistently observed in samples of regular cannabis users, particularly in cannabinoid receptor-high areas, which are vulnerable to the effects of high circulating levels of THC, and 2) associated either with greater levels of cannabis use (e.g., higher dosage, longer duration, and earlier age of onset) or with distinct cannabinoid compounds (i.e., THC and CBD). Across the 31 studies selected for inclusion in this review, neuroanatomic alterations emerged across regions that are high in cannabinoid receptors (i.e., hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala, cerebellum). Greater dose and earlier age of onset were associated with these alterations. Preliminary evidence shows that THC exacerbates, whereas CBD protects from, such harmful effects. Methodologic differences in the quantification of levels of cannabis use prevent accurate assessment of cannabis exposure and direct comparison of findings across studies. Consequently, the field lacks large "consortium-style" data sets that can be used to develop reliable neurobiological models of cannabis-related harm, recovery, and protection. To move the field forward, we encourage a coordinated approach and suggest the urgent development of consensus-based guidelines to accurately and comprehensively quantify cannabis use and exposure in human studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lorenzetti
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology, Centre for Health Initiatives and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne; Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
French L, Gray C, Leonard G, Perron M, Pike GB, Richer L, Séguin JR, Veillette S, Evans CJ, Artiges E, Banaschewski T, Bokde AWL, Bromberg U, Bruehl R, Buchel C, Cattrell A, Conrod PJ, Flor H, Frouin V, Gallinat J, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Lemaitre H, Martinot JL, Nees F, Orfanos DP, Pangelinan MM, Poustka L, Rietschel M, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Timpson NJ, Schumann G, Smith GD, Pausova Z, Paus T. Early Cannabis Use, Polygenic Risk Score for Schizophrenia and Brain Maturation in Adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry 2015; 72:1002-11. [PMID: 26308966 PMCID: PMC5075969 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2015.1131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cannabis use during adolescence is known to increase the risk for schizophrenia in men. Sex differences in the dynamics of brain maturation during adolescence may be of particular importance with regard to vulnerability of the male brain to cannabis exposure. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the association between cannabis use and cortical maturation in adolescents is moderated by a polygenic risk score for schizophrenia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Observation of 3 population-based samples included initial analysis in 1024 adolescents of both sexes from the Canadian Saguenay Youth Study (SYS) and follow-up in 426 adolescents of both sexes from the IMAGEN Study from 8 European cities and 504 male youth from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) based in England. A total of 1577 participants (aged 12-21 years; 899 [57.0%] male) had (1) information about cannabis use; (2) imaging studies of the brain; and (3) a polygenic risk score for schizophrenia across 108 genetic loci identified by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Data analysis was performed from March 1 through December 31, 2014. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cortical thickness derived from T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Linear regression tests were used to assess the relationships between cannabis use, cortical thickness, and risk score. RESULTS Across the 3 samples of 1574 participants, a negative association was observed between cannabis use in early adolescence and cortical thickness in male participants with a high polygenic risk score. This observation was not the case for low-risk male participants or for the low- or high-risk female participants. Thus, in SYS male participants, cannabis use interacted with risk score vis-à-vis cortical thickness (P = .009); higher scores were associated with lower thickness only in males who used cannabis. Similarly, in the IMAGEN male participants, cannabis use interacted with increased risk score vis-à-vis a change in decreasing cortical thickness from 14.5 to 18.5 years of age (t137 = -2.36; P = .02). Finally, in the ALSPAC high-risk group of male participants, those who used cannabis most frequently (≥61 occasions) had lower cortical thickness than those who never used cannabis (difference in cortical thickness, 0.07 [95% CI, 0.01-0.12]; P = .02) and those with light use (<5 occasions) (difference in cortical thickness, 0.11 [95% CI, 0.03-0.18]; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Cannabis use in early adolescence moderates the association between the genetic risk for schizophrenia and cortical maturation among male individuals. This finding implicates processes underlying cortical maturation in mediating the link between cannabis use and liability to schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leon French
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Courtney Gray
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gabriel Leonard
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michel Perron
- Groupe d’Étude des Conditions de vie et des Besoins de la Population, Cégep de Jonquiere, Jonquiere, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada 4Department of Human Sciences, University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
| | - G. Bruce Pike
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada6Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Louis Richer
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean R. Séguin
- Department of Psychiatry and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ste-Justine, University de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Suzanne Veillette
- Groupe d’Étude des Conditions de vie et des Besoins de la Population, Cégep de Jonquiere, Jonquiere, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada 4Department of Human Sciences, University of Quebec in Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
| | - C. John Evans
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1000, Research Unit Imaging and Psychiatry, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Institut d’Imagerie Biomédicale, Serv
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun W. L. Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Uli Bromberg
- Institut für Systemische Neurowissenschaften, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Christian Buchel
- Institut für Systemische Neurowissenschaften, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Cattrell
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England20Medical Research Council–Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London
| | - Patricia J. Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry and Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Ste-Justine, University de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada19Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Jurgen Gallinat
- Institut für Systemische Neurowissenschaften, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington24Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington
| | - Penny Gowland
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Herve Lemaitre
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1000, Research Unit Imaging and Psychiatry, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Institut d’Imagerie Biomédicale, Serv
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 1000, Research Unit Imaging and Psychiatry, Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), Direction des Sciences du Vivant, Institut d’Imagerie Biomédicale, Serv
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | | | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- Department of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nic J. Timpson
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England20Medical Research Council–Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London
| | - George Davey Smith
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, England
| | - Zdenka Pausova
- Department of Physiology and Experimental Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada31Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada32Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Ontario, C
| | - Tomáš Paus
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada33Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada34Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada35Child Mind Institute, New York, New York
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Filbey FM, Aslan S, Calhoun VD, Spence JS, Damaraju E, Caprihan A, Segall J. Long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:16913-8. [PMID: 25385625 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1415297111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Questions surrounding the effects of chronic marijuana use on brain structure continue to increase. To date, however, findings remain inconclusive. In this comprehensive study that aimed to characterize brain alterations associated with chronic marijuana use, we measured gray matter (GM) volume via structural MRI across the whole brain by using voxel-based morphology, synchrony among abnormal GM regions during resting state via functional connectivity MRI, and white matter integrity (i.e., structural connectivity) between the abnormal GM regions via diffusion tensor imaging in 48 marijuana users and 62 age- and sex-matched nonusing controls. The results showed that compared with controls, marijuana users had significantly less bilateral orbitofrontal gyri volume, higher functional connectivity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) network, and higher structural connectivity in tracts that innervate the OFC (forceps minor) as measured by fractional anisotropy (FA). Increased OFC functional connectivity in marijuana users was associated with earlier age of onset. Lastly, a quadratic trend was observed suggesting that the FA of the forceps minor tract initially increased following regular marijuana use but decreased with protracted regular use. This pattern may indicate differential effects of initial and chronic marijuana use that may reflect complex neuroadaptive processes in response to marijuana use. Despite the observed age of onset effects, longitudinal studies are needed to determine causality of these effects.
Collapse
|
23
|
O'Tuathaigh CMP, Gantois I, Waddington JL. Genetic dissection of the psychotomimetic effects of cannabinoid exposure. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 52:33-40. [PMID: 24239593 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 08/03/2013] [Revised: 10/31/2013] [Accepted: 11/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis use is an established risk factor for the development of schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. Factors that may mediate susceptibility to the psychosis-inducing effects of cannabis include the age at onset of first cannabis use, genetic predisposition, as well as interaction with other environmental risk variables. Clinical and preclinical genetic studies provide increasing evidence that, in particular, genes encoding proteins implicated in dopamine signalling are implicated in the cannabis-psychosis association. In the present review, we focus on both human and animal studies which have focused on identifying the neuronal basis of these interactions. We conclude that further studies are required to provide greater mechanistic insight into the long-term and neurodevelopmental effects of cannabis use, with implications for improved understanding of the cannabis-psychosis relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colm M P O'Tuathaigh
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland; School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Ilse Gantois
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - John L Waddington
- Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
van Winkel R, Kuepper R. Epidemiological, neurobiological, and genetic clues to the mechanisms linking cannabis use to risk for nonaffective psychosis. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2014; 10:767-91. [PMID: 24471373 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032813-153631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown that the association between cannabis and psychosis is robust and consistent across different samples, with compelling evidence for a dose-response relationship. Because longitudinal work indicates that cannabis use precedes psychotic symptoms, it seems reasonable to assume a causal relationship. However, more work is needed to address the possibility of gene-environment correlation (for example, genetic risk for psychosis causing onset of cannabis use). Moreover, knowledge about underlying biological mechanisms linking cannabis use and psychosis is still relatively limited. In order to understand how cannabis use may lead to an increased risk for psychosis, in the present article we (a) review the epidemiological, neurobiological, and genetic evidence linking cannabinoids and psychosis, (b) assess the quality of the evidence, and finally (c) try to integrate the most robust findings into a neurodevelopmental model of cannabis-induced psychosis and identify the gaps in knowledge that are in need of further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruud van Winkel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, European Graduate School of Neuroscience (EURON), South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network (SEARCH), Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands;
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Rocchetti M, Crescini A, Borgwardt S, Caverzasi E, Politi P, Atakan Z, Fusar-Poli P. Is cannabis neurotoxic for the healthy brain? A meta-analytical review of structural brain alterations in non-psychotic users. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2013; 67:483-92. [PMID: 24118193 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Revised: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Despite growing research in the field of cannabis imaging, mostly in those with a psychotic illness, the possible neurotoxic effects of smoked cannabis on the healthy brain have yet to be fully understood. There appears to be a need to evaluate the existing imaging data on the neuroanatomical effects of cannabis use on non-psychotic populations. METHODS We conducted a meta-analytical review to estimate the putative neurotoxic effect of cannabis in non-psychotic subjects who were using or not using cannabis. We specifically tested the hypothesis that cannabis use can alter grey and white matter in non-psychotic subjects. RESULTS Our systematic literature search uncovered 14 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The overall database comprised 362 users and 365 non-users. At the level of the individual studies there is limited and contrasting evidence supporting a cannabis-related alteration on the white and grey matter structures of non-psychotic cannabis users. However, our meta-analysis showed a consistent smaller hippocampus in users as compared to non-users. Heterogeneity across study designs, image acquisition, small sample sizes and limited availability of regions of interest to be included in the meta-analysis may undermine the core findings of this study. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that in the healthy brain, chronic and long-term cannabis exposure may exert significant effects in brain areas enriched with cannabinoid receptors, such as the hippocampus, which could be related to a neurotoxic action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Rocchetti
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Verdejo-García A, Fagundo AB, Cuenca A, Rodriguez J, Cuyás E, Langohr K, de Sola Llopis S, Civit E, Farré M, Peña-Casanova J, de la Torre R. COMT val158met and 5-HTTLPR genetic polymorphisms moderate executive control in cannabis users. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:1598-606. [PMID: 23449176 PMCID: PMC3682154 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 10/30/2012] [Revised: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The adverse effects of cannabis use on executive functions are still controversial, fostering the need for novel biomarkers able to unveil individual differences in the cognitive impact of cannabis consumption. Two common genetic polymorphisms have been linked to the neuroadaptive impact of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure and to executive functions in animals: the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene val158met polymorphism and the SLC6A4 gene 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. We aimed to test if these polymorphisms moderate the harmful effects of cannabis use on executive function in young cannabis users. We recruited 144 participants: 86 cannabis users and 58 non-drug user controls. Both groups were genotyped and matched for genetic makeup, sex, age, education, and IQ. We used a computerized neuropsychological battery to assess different aspects of executive functions: sustained attention (CANTAB Rapid Visual Information Processing Test, RVIP), working memory (N-back), monitoring/shifting (CANTAB ID/ED set shifting), planning (CANTAB Stockings of Cambridge, SOC), and decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task, IGT). We used general linear model-based analyses to test performance differences between cannabis users and controls as a function of genotypes. We found that: (i) daily cannabis use is not associated with executive function deficits; and (ii) COMT val158met and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms moderate the link between cannabis use and executive performance. Cannabis users carrying the COMT val/val genotype exhibited lower accuracy of sustained attention, associated with a more strict response bias, than val/val non-users. Cannabis users carrying the COMT val allele also committed more monitoring/shifting errors than cannabis users carrying the met/met genotype. Finally, cannabis users carrying the 5-HTTLPR s/s genotype had worse IGT performance than s/s non-users. COMT and SLC6A4 genes moderate the impact of cannabis use on executive functions.
Collapse
|