Grey matter alterations associated with cannabis use: Results of a VBM study in heavy cannabis users and healthy controls

Cousijn, Janna; Wiers, Reinout W.; Ridderinkhof, K. Richard; Brink, Wim van den; Veltman, Dick J.; Goudriaan, Anna E.

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.09.046

Cited by 245 publications

(255 citation statements)

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“…Matochik et al (2005) [148] found lower grey matter density in the right parahippocampus and greater grey matter density in the precentral gyrus and right thalamus in cannabis users, while Cousjin et al (2011) [146] found a larger anterior cerebellum in cannabis users. Matochik et al (2005) [148] also reported differences in white matter density, such as lower density in the left parietal lobe and higher in parahippocampus, fusiform gyrus, lentiform nucleus and pons.…”

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Structural differences were obtained in seven of them in terms of global brain measures [143] or gray/white matter changes [144][145][146][147][148][149]. Four studies did not find any significant structural alterations when comparing chronic cannabis users with healthy controls [150][151][152][153].…”

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the six studies employing a whole-brain analysis approach [143,146,148,[150][151][152], two further studies described differences between chronic cannabis users and controls [146,148]. Matochik et al (2005) [148] found lower grey matter density in the right parahippocampus and greater grey matter density in the precentral gyrus and right thalamus in cannabis users, while Cousjin et al (2011) [146] found a larger anterior cerebellum in cannabis users.…”

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies have also reported correlations between regional brain volume measures and cannabis use parameters, clinical and neuropsychological measures. For instance, a smaller hippocampal volume has been related to a greater exposure to cannabis [145,146,149], severity of cannabis dependence [146] and more severe positive psychotic symptoms [149]. Ashtari et al (2011) [145] described a positive association between larger hippocampus volumes and higher verbal learning and memory scores in healthy controls but not in cannabis users [145].…”

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With respect to other brain regions, Cousijn et al (2011) [146] reported a negative correlation between amygdala volume and the amount of cannabis use or dependence, while Matochik et al (2005) [148] found an association between increased white matter density in left precentral gyrus and longer duration of cannabis use.…”

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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1301 – Structural and functional imaging studies in chronic cannabis users: a systematic review of adolescent and adult findings

Batalla

Bhattachayyria

Yücel

et al. 2013

European Psychiatry

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Background:The growing concern about cannabis use, the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide, has led to a significant increase in the number of human studies using neuroimaging techniques to determine the effect of cannabis on brain structure and function. We conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence of the impact of chronic cannabis use on brain structure and function in adults and adolescents.

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Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Structural Neuroimaging Studies In Adult Chronic Cannabis Usersmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

1301 – Structural and functional imaging studies in chronic cannabis users: a systematic review of adolescent and adult findings

Batalla

Bhattachayyria

Yücel

et al. 2013

European Psychiatry

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Shared Predisposition in the Association Between Cannabis Use and Subcortical Brain Structure

et al. 2015

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Prior neuroimaging studies have suggested that alterations in brain structure may be a consequence of cannabis use. Siblings discordant for cannabis use offer an opportunity to use cross-sectional data to disentangle such causal hypotheses from shared effects of genetics and familial environment on brain structure and cannabis use.OBJECTIVES To determine whether cannabis use is associated with differences in brain structure in a large sample of twins/siblings and to examine sibling pairs discordant for cannabis use to separate potential causal and predispositional factors linking lifetime cannabis exposure to volumetric alterations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional diagnostic interview, behavioral, and neuroimaging data were collected from community sampling and established family registries from August 2012 to September 2014. This study included data from 483 participants (22-35 years old) enrolled in the ongoing Human Connectome Project, with 262 participants reporting cannabis exposure (ie, ever used cannabis in their lifetime). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cannabis exposure was measured with the Semi-StructuredAssessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism. Whole-brain, hippocampus, amygdala, ventral striatum, and orbitofrontal cortex volumes were related to lifetime cannabis use (ever used, age at onset, and frequency of use) using linear regressions. Genetic (ρ g ) and environmental (ρ e ) correlations between cannabis use and brain volumes were estimated. Linear mixed models were used to examine volume differences in sex-matched concordant unexposed (n = 71 pairs), exposed (n = 81 pairs), or exposure discordant (n = 89 pairs) sibling pairs. RESULTS Among 483 study participants, cannabis exposure was related to smaller left amygdala (approximately 2.3%; P = .007) and right ventral striatum (approximately 3.5%; P < .005) volumes. These volumetric differences were within the range of normal variation. The association between left amygdala volume and cannabis use was largely owing to shared genetic factors (ρ g = −0.43; P = .004), while the origin of the association with right ventral striatum volumes was unclear. Importantly, brain volumes did not differ between sex-matched siblings discordant for use (fixed effect = −7.43; t = −0.93, P = .35). Both the exposed and unexposed siblings in pairs discordant for cannabis exposure showed reduced amygdala volumes relative to members of concordant unexposed pairs (fixed effect = 12.56; t = 2.97; P = .003). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEIn this study, differences in amygdala volume in cannabis users were attributable to common predispositional factors, genetic or environmental in origin, with little support for causal influences. Causal influences, in isolation or in conjunction with predispositional factors, may exist for other brain regions (eg, ventral striatum) or at more severe levels of cannabis involvement and deserve further study.

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Effects of Antipsychotic Medication on Brain Structure in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Psychotic Features

et al. 2020

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IMPORTANCE Prescriptions for antipsychotic medications continue to increase across many brain disorders, including off-label use in children and elderly individuals. Concerning animal and uncontrolled human data suggest antipsychotics are associated with change in brain structure, but to our knowledge, there are no controlled human studies that have yet addressed this question.OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of antipsychotics on brain structure in humans. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSPrespecified secondary analysis of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial over a 36-week period at 5 academic centers. All participants, aged 18 to 85 years, were recruited from the multicenter Study of the Pharmacotherapy of Psychotic Depression II (STOP-PD II). All participants had major depressive disorder with psychotic features (psychotic depression) and were prescribed olanzapine and sertraline for a period of 12 to 20 weeks, which included 8 weeks of remission of psychosis and remission/near remission of depression. Participants were then were randomized to continue receiving this regimen or to be switched to placebo and sertraline for a subsequent 36-week period. Data were analyzed between October 2018 and February 2019.INTERVENTIONS Those who consented to the imaging study completed a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at the time of randomization and a second MRI scan at the end of the 36-week period or at time of relapse. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe primary outcome measure was cortical thickness in gray matter and the secondary outcome measure was microstructural integrity of white matter.RESULTS Eighty-eight participants (age range, 18-85 years) completed a baseline scan; 75 completed a follow-up scan, of which 72 (32 men and 40 women) were useable for final analyses. There was a significant treatment-group by time interaction in cortical thickness (left, t = 3.3; P = .001; right, t = 3.6; P < .001) but not surface area. No significant interaction was found for fractional anisotropy, but one for mean diffusivity of the white matter skeleton was present (t = −2.6, P = .01). When the analysis was restricted to those who sustained remission, exposure to olanzapine compared with placebo was associated with significant decreases in cortical thickness in the left hemisphere (β [SE], 0.04 [0.009]; t 34.4 = 4.7; P <.001), and the right hemisphere (β [SE], 0.03 [0.009]; t 35.1 = 3.6; P <.001). Post hoc analyses showed that those who relapsed receiving placebo experienced decreases in cortical thickness compared with those who sustained remission. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEIn this secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial, antipsychotic medication was shown to change brain structure. This information is important for prescribing in psychiatric conditions where alternatives are present. However, adverse effects of relapse on brain structure support antipsychotic treatment during active illness.

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Grey matter alterations associated with cannabis use: Results of a VBM study in heavy cannabis users and healthy controls

Cited by 245 publications

References 64 publications

1301 – Structural and functional imaging studies in chronic cannabis users: a systematic review of adolescent and adult findings

1301 – Structural and functional imaging studies in chronic cannabis users: a systematic review of adolescent and adult findings

Shared Predisposition in the Association Between Cannabis Use and Subcortical Brain Structure

Effects of Antipsychotic Medication on Brain Structure in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Psychotic Features

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