Δ9-Tetrahidrocanabinol Alters Conectomas cerebrais funcionais límbicos e frontais entre jovens adultos usuários de cannabis

O que aconteceu

Cannabis use among young adults has reached the highest levels ever recorded. Evidence indicates that acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) disrupts brain connectivity. Few studies have examined this on a whole-brain level. We examined the effects of a single moderate dose of THC on resting-state functional brain networks among young adult cannabis users. In a within-subject, double-blind, randomized study, 33 healthy occasional cannabis users received THC (7.5 mg, oral) and placebo before completing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) during peak intoxication. Group-information-guided independent component analysis was performed on resting-state brain data to identify whole-brain networks associated with each scan. Within-samples t tests assessed for differences in intrinsic network functional connectivity and between-network functional connectivity after THC versus placebo. Additional linear models examined relationships between brain connectivity, subjective drug effects, and past-month cannabis use.

Trecho mantido em inglês: a tradução automática não passou na conferência de números.

O que encontraram

THC reduced within-network intrinsic connectivity in corticostriatal circuits and other networks associated with sensory systems, interoceptive experiences, and spatial reasoning. THC reduced connectivity between 2 networks characterized by the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsal insula regions as well as the ventral insula and lingual gyrus, respectively. Network connectivity during THC (vs. placebo) was not related to subjective measures of drug effect or recent cannabis use.

Trecho mantido em inglês: a tradução automática não passou na conferência de números.

Por que isso importa

Nossos achados somam-se a uma literatura crescente mostrando que o THC diminui a rs-fMRI em todo o cérebro, impactando as redes ligadas às muitas alterações comportamentais e perceptivas associadas ao THC. Futuro trabalho é necessário para estender esses achados a amostras clínicas e para avaliar em que medida essas redes estão associadas a desfechos negativos do uso crônico de THC.