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Cannabis Use Disorders and Altered Brain Morphology: Where Is the Evidence?

  • Cannabis (F Filbey, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Cannabis use disorders (CUDs) affect 13.1 million individuals worldwide. Brain morphology specific to CUDs may mediate the adverse behavioral outcomes of CUDs. We reviewed findings from 20 human neuroimaging studies on grey and white matter morphology in cannabis users that specifically included CUD assessments. There is evidence for CUD-specific morphological abnormalities within the striatum, medial temporal lobe, prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and corpus callosum. Factors that may aggravate morphological abnormalities associated with CUDs include earlier onset age, higher lifetime exposure, and CUD-associated problems, while abstinence may result in (partial) recovery. These observations suggest that the neural substrates of compulsive cannabis use (e.g., striatum) may be distinct from those linked to cannabinoid exposure (e.g., hippocampus). The lack of studies examining individuals with a diagnosed CUD prevents drawing strong conclusions on CUD-specific morphological abnormalities. Comparing cannabis users with and without CUD is essential to delineate the neurobiology and inform new treatment strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain & Mental Health Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive & Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Valentina Lorenzetti

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Albert Batalla

  3. Nijmegen Institute for Scientist-Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Albert Batalla

  4. Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Janna Cousijn

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  1. Valentina Lorenzetti
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  2. Albert Batalla
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Correspondence to Valentina Lorenzetti.

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Valentina Lorenzetti, Albert Batalla, and Janna Cousijn declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Valentina Lorenzetti and Albert Batalla shared first authorship

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cannabis

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Lorenzetti, V., Batalla, A. & Cousijn, J. Cannabis Use Disorders and Altered Brain Morphology: Where Is the Evidence?. Curr Addict Rep 3, 189–198 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-016-0102-2

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