Electrophysiological and behavioral correlates of cannabis use disorder

Abstract

Current research indicates deficits in cognitive function together with widespread changes in brain activity following long-term cannabis use. In particular, cannabis use has been associated with excessive spectral power of the alpha rhythm (8–12 Hz), which is also known to be modulated during attentional states. Recent neuroimaging studies have linked heavy cannabis use with structural and metabolic changes in the brain; however, the functional consequences of these changes are still not fully characterized. This study investigated the electrophysiological and behavioral correlates of cannabis dependence by comparing patients with a cannabis use disorder (CUD; N = 24) with cannabis nonuser controls (N = 24), using resting state electroencephalogram (EEG) source-imaging. In addition to evaluating mean differences between groups, we also explored whether particular EEG patterns were associated with individual cognitive-behavioral measures. First, we replicated historical findings of elevated levels of (relative) alpha rhythm in CUD patients compared with controls and located these abnormalities to mainly prefrontal cortical regions. Importantly, we observed a significant negative correlation between alpha spectral power in several cortical regions and individual attentional performance in the Go/NoGo task. Because such relationship was absent in the nonuser control group, our results suggest that reduced prefrontal cortical activation (indexed by increased relative alpha power) could be partly responsible for the reported cognitive impairments in CUD. Our findings support the use of electroencephalography as a noninvasive and cost-effective tool for biomarker discovery in substance abuse and have the potential of directly informing future intervention strategies.

Tensor Decomposition Analysis of Longitudinal EEG Signals Reveals Differential Oscillatory Dynamics in Eyes-Closed and Eyes-Open Motor Imagery BCI: A Case Report

“…Haegens et al found that the alpha-band activity increased in the sensorimotor cortex ipsilateral to the engaged hand in a somatosensory working memory task, while it decreased in the contralateral hemisphere [73]. Furthermore, the stronger 8.0 Hz neuronal inhibition (greater desynchronisation) in MIEC condition than that of MIEO in both ipsi-and contralateral cortices (see Figure 6) suggests an interruption in attentional processing caused by opening the eyes [74]. The pre-movement 9.5 Hz rhythm desynchronization observed in the MIEC condition (Figure 5) may be explained by the notion that pre-stimulus alpha oscillatory activity modulates the subsequent processing of visual and somatosensory stimuli [72].…”

THC and CBD: Villain versus Hero? Insights into Adolescent Exposure

“…An extensive literature has demonstrated that chronic cannabis use is harmful for the pulmonary and respiratory system [ 10 , 11 ], the cardiovascular system [ 12 , 13 ], as well as the central nervous system (CNS) [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], especially if used in adolescence [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Moreover, the efforts made throughout the years by companies and criminal organizations to make cannabis more potent have led to very high THC levels in weed strains, deeply influencing consumption patterns and long-term use outcomes [ 24 ].…”