University of Wollongong
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An MRI study of white matter tract integrity in regular cannabis users: effects of cannabis use and age

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posted on 2024-11-16, 07:03 authored by David Jakabek, Murat Yücel, Valentina Lorenzetti, Nadia SolowijNadia Solowij
Rationale Conflicting evidence exists on the effects of cannabis use on brain white matter integrity. The extant literature has exclusively focused on younger cannabis users, with no studies sampling older cannabis users. Objectives We recruited a sample with a broad age range to examine the integrity of major white matter tracts in association with cannabis use parameters and neurodevelopmental stage. Methods Regular cannabis users (n = 56) and non-users (n = 20) with a mean age of 32 (range 18-55 years) underwent structural and diffusion MRI scans. White matter was examined using voxel-based statistics and via probabilistic tract reconstruction. The integrity of tracts was assessed using average fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity. Diffusion measures were compared between users and non-users and as group-by-age interactions. Correlations between diffusion measures and age of onset, duration, frequency and dose of current cannabis use were examined. Results Cannabis users overall had lower fractional anisotropy than healthy non-users in the forceps minor tract only (p = .015, partial eta = 0.07), with no voxel-wise differences observed. Younger users showed predominantly reduced axial diffusivity, whereas older users had higher radial diffusivity in widespread tracts. Higher axial diffusivity was associated with duration of cannabis use in the cingulum angular bundle (beta = 5.00 x 10−5, p = .003). Isolated higher AD in older cannabis users was also observed. Conclusions The findings suggest that exogenous cannabinoids alter normal brain maturation, with differing effects at various neurodevelopmental stages of life. These age-related differences are posited to account for the disparate results described in the literature.

Funding

Characterization of nutritional status, evolution and effectiveness of an intervention with omega-3 in postpartum women

Coordenação de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

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Cannabis and the brain: the good, the bad and the unknown

Australian Research Council

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History

Citation

Jakabek, D., Yücel, M., Lorenzetti, V. & Solowij, N. (2016). An MRI study of white matter tract integrity in regular cannabis users: effects of cannabis use and age. Psychopharmacology, 233 (19), 3627-3637.

Journal title

Psychopharmacology

Volume

233

Issue

19-20

Pagination

3627-3637

Language

English

RIS ID

109088

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