Cannabis use | Here is a study that takes into account multiple aspects relating to brain development and structure.
Cannabis use | Having less grey matter leads to poor functional skills, do you want that?
People who use cannabis on a regular basis have lower orbitofrontal cortex gray matter volumes compared with those who do not use the drug, according to a new study published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The orbitofrontal cortex is commonly associated with addiction.
Researchers also found cannabis users who begin taking the drug early in their lives have greater structural and functional connectivity, although it declines after six to eight years of regular use.
“To date, existing studies on the long-term effects of marijuana on brain structures have been largely inconclusive due to limitations in methodologies,” said Francesca Filbey, MD, the study’s lead author and associate professor in the school of behavioral and brain sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas.
“While our study does not conclusively address whether any or all of the brain changes are a direct consequence of marijuana use, these effects do suggest that these changes are related to age of onset and duration of use.”
Researchers recruited 48 cannabis users and 62 non-users through fliers and media advertisements in the Albuquerque, New Mexico metropolitan area. Participants were required to speak English as their primary language and have no current or history of psychosis, traumatic brain injury, or neurological disorder.
Cannabis users were included if they used the drug at least four times per week for the previous six months.
Compared with the non-user group, cannabis users had significant lower gray matter volume in the right middle orbitofrontal and left superior orbitofrontal gyri (P<.01). The cannabis group also had a significantly higher forceps minor as measured by fractional anisotropy in the automatic (P=.003) and manual (P<.001) methods.
“What’s unique about this work is that it combines three different MRI techniques to evaluate different brain characteristics,” said Sina Aslan, PhD, founder and president of Advance MRI, LLC and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas.
“The results suggest increases in connectivity, both structural and functional that may be compensating for gray matter losses. Eventually, however, the structural connectivity or ‘wiring’ of the brain starts degrading with prolonged marijuana use.”
- Cannabis use over time | Why this is important information?
Grey matter contains most of the brain's neuronal cell bodies. The grey matter includes regions of the brain involved in muscle control, and sensory perception such as seeing and hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control. (wikipedia, 2014).
Having the right amount of grey matter is key to longevity / healthier living, trading short term pleasure for long term cognitive function is really not desirable, you need all that you have today and for tomorrow.
Study from psychcongress.com
