Regular cannabis and alcohol use is associated with resting-state time course power spectra in incarcerated adolescents

Abstract

Cannabis and alcohol are believed to have widespread effects on the brain. Although adolescents are at increased risk for substance use, the adolescent brain may also be particularly vulnerable to the effects of drug exposure due to its rapid maturation. Here, we examined the association between cannabis and alcohol use duration and resting-state functional connectivity in a large sample of male juvenile delinquents. The present sample was drawn from the Southwest Advanced Neuroimaging Cohort, Youth sample, and from a youth detention facility in Wisconsin. All participants were scanned at the maximum-security facilities using The Mind Research Network’s 1.5T Avanto SQ Mobile MRI scanner. Information on cannabis and alcohol regular use duration was collected using self-report. Resting-state networks were computed using group independent component analysis in 201 participants. Associations with cannabis and alcohol use were assessed using Mancova analyses controlling for age, IQ, smoking and psychopathy scores in the complete case sample of 180 male juvenile delinquents. No associations between alcohol or cannabis use and network spatial maps were found. Longer cannabis use was associated with decreased low frequency power of the default mode network, the executive control networks (ECNs), and several sensory networks, and with decreased functional network connectivity. Duration of alcohol use was associated with decreased low frequency power of the right frontoparietal network, salience network, dorsal attention network, and several sensory networks. Our findings suggest that adolescent cannabis and alcohol use are associated with widespread differences in resting-state time course power spectra, which may persist even after abstinence.

Maximizing dissimilarity in resting state detects heterogeneous subtypes in healthy population associated with high substance use and problems in antisocial personality

“…Task-based fMRI meta-analysis has reported PCC areas in the DMN to be affected in substance seekers (Blest-Hopley, Giampietro, & Bhattacharyya, 2018;Yanes et al, 2018). The rs-fMRI analysis revealed that longer use of cannabis is associated with decreased low frequency power of the DMN (Thijssen et al, 2017). The PCC, a key region in the DMN is responsible for self-consciousness and self-referential mental thoughts (Andrews-Hanna, Reidler, Sepulcre, Poulin, & Buckner, 2010;Andrews-Hanna, Smallwood, & Spreng, 2014;Buckner & Carroll, 2007;Cavanna & Trimble, 2006;Fransson & Marrelec, 2008;Leech & Sharp, 2013;Raichle et al, 2001;Spreng, Mar, & Kim, 2008).…”

“…Nicotine (a key ingredient of tobacco) was also associated with decreased activity in the regions of DMN (Tanabe et al, 2011) and low overall functional connectivity (Cheng et al, 2019). From the vast pool of scientific studies, it can be inferred that tobacco and drugs intake, along with marijuana and alcohol use are associated with differences in rs time courses (Cheng et al, 2014), and are possibly making adolescents more vulnerable to psychiatric and other disorders (Thijssen et al, 2017).…”

Maximizing Dissimilarity in Resting State detects Heterogeneous Subtypes in Healthy population associated with High Substance-Use and Problems in Antisocial Personality

“…Task-based fMRI meta-analysis has reported PCC areas in the DMN to be affected in substance seekers (Blest-Hopley, Giampietro, & Bhattacharyya, 2018;Yanes et al, 2018). The rs-fMRI analysis revealed that longer use of cannabis is associated with decreased low frequency power of the DMN (Thijssen et al, 2017). The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a key region in the DMN is responsible for self-consciousness and self-referential mental thoughts (Andrews-Hanna, Reidler, Sepulcre, Poulin, & Buckner, 2010;Andrews-Hanna, Smallwood, & Spreng, 2014;Buckner & Carroll, 2007;Cavanna & Trimble, 2006;Fransson & Marrelec, 2008;Leech & Sharp, 2013;Raichle et al, 2001;Spreng, Mar, & Kim, 2008).…”

“…Nicotine (a key ingredient of tobacco) was also associated with decreased activity in the regions of DMN (Tanabe et al, 2011) and low overall functional connectivity (Cheng et al, 2019). From the vast pool of scientific studies, it can be inferred that tobacco and drugs intake, along with marijuana and alcohol use are associated with differences in resting state time courses (Cheng et al, 2014), and are possibly making adolescents more vulnerable to psychiatric and other disorders (Thijssen et al, 2017).…”

Is the Adolescent Brain at Greater Vulnerability to the Effects of Cannabis? A Narrative Review of the Evidence

“…A longitudinal study of resting state functional connectivity comparing adolescence cannabis users and non-users found decreased connectivity between the ACC and the dorsolateral and orbital frontal cortices in adolescent cannabis users across 18 months of cannabis use, while connectivity between the ACC and the superior frontal gyrus increased over time in healthy controls (97). Examination of resting state connectivity between the central executive network, default mode network and sensory networks in a cohort of adolescents found decreased connectivity in all networks as a function of longer duration of cannabis use (98). Similar alterations were seen in connectivity between the striatum and frontal-limbic circuit during a comparison of adolescent cannabis users with non-users, in addition to attenuation of the negatively correlated functional connectivity between the striatum and the fusiform gyrus, a region that serves a critical role in the recognition of significant visual features; it is important to note that some of these observations appeared to normalize after abstinence (95).…”