Thalamocortical functional connectivity and cannabis use in men with childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Disruptions of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit has been implicated in both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorder. Given the high prevalence of cannabis use among patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, we set out to investigate the relationship between the two in the thalamus. We analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from the Addiction Connectome Preprocessed Initiative Multimodal Treatment Study of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder database. Functional connectivity maps were extracted to compare thalamic connectivity among adults who had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder during childhood according to whether or not they used cannabis. The study participants included 18 cannabis users and 15 cannabis non-users with childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Our results revealed that adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder who used cannabis (n = 18) had significantly decreased functional connectivity between the thalamus and parietal regions, which was particularly prominent in the inferior parietal areas, in comparison with those who did not use cannabis (n = 15). Left thalamic functional connectivity with the inferior parietal and middle frontal areas and right thalamic functional connectivity with the inferior parietal and superior frontal areas were increased in non-users of cannabis with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder compared with a local normative comparison group (n = 7). In conclusion, adults with a childhood history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder who do not use cannabis often have relatively stronger thalamoparietal and thalamofrontal connectivity, which may help reduce the risk of cannabis use.

O Uso Da Cannabis No Transtorno Do Déficit De Atenção E Hiperatividade: Fator De Piora Ou Componente Terapêutico?

“…Outras especificidades relacionadas ao tema também foram investigadas, como a interação dos extratos canábicos com as medicações já estabelecidas como tratamento padrão para o TDAH, a existência de posologias padronizadas do uso da planta e os efeitos colaterais provenientes do seu uso. Foi possível observar que pacientes com TDAH apresentam maior incidência de transtornos de personalidade e uso da cannabis, estando o uso associado a alterações desfavoráveis nos testes de atenção e impulsividade, bem como diminuição da conectividade tálamo cortical (Brandt;Rehm;Lev-Ran, 2018;Wallace et al, 2018;Lee;Hong, 2022).…”

Cannabis Use in Patients With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder- A Benefit or a Curse: A Systematic Review

“…Cannabis is one of the most widely used illicit narcotics globally, with significant usage rates in youth and early adulthood [ 5 ]. Introduction Cannabis (sometimes known as marijuana) is made from the dried leaves and flower seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant [ 5 ].…”

“…Cannabis is one of the most widely used illicit narcotics globally, with significant usage rates in youth and early adulthood [ 5 ]. Introduction Cannabis (sometimes known as marijuana) is made from the dried leaves and flower seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant [ 5 ]. Cannabis usage, whether short- or long-term, has several impacts on the immunological, respiratory, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems [ 2 ], including diminished attention, reduced working memory, and diminished executive functioning [ 6 ].…”

“…Compared to children without ADHD, individuals with ADHD had nearly three times the likelihood of ever using marijuana and 1.5 times the likelihood of developing a cannabis dependence [ 5 ]. Instead of being causal, the relationships may be due to overlapping genetic and environmental variables that increase the chance of marijuana use disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [ 3 ].…”

“…5 shows the results of New Castle Ottawa Scale, AMSTAR 2 checklist, Cochrane Risk Bias tool, and AXIS tool respectively.…”