Intersting little study on cannabis, the brain and schizophrenia

I found this to be very interesting. I'm going to break the abstract up a bit and translate it.

Associations between adolescent cannabis use and brain structure in psychosis. Associations between adolescent cannabis use and brain structure in psychosis. - PubMed - NCBI

Associations between cannabis use and psychotic disorders suggest that cannabis may be a contributory risk factor in the neurobiology of psychosis. In this study, we examined brain structure characteristics, total and regional gray matter density (GMD), using Voxel Based Morphometry, in psychotic individuals, stratified by history of cannabis use (total n = 109).

Some studies suggest that cannabis use MAY increase your risk of mental illness. So we looked at brains of psychotic individuals, some of whom use cannabis and also controls (normal people). We compared the size and density of the gray matter in the brains.

We also contrasted GMD estimates in individual diagnostic groups (schizophrenia/bipolar I disorder) with and without history of adolescent cannabis use (ACU). Individuals with psychosis as a whole, both with and without history of ACU, had lower total and regional GMD, compared to healthy controls.

We further divided our mentally ill group into subgroups with and without cannabis use. Compared to healthy controls, the mentally ill group had less dense gray matter.

ACU was associated with attenuated GMD reductions, compared to non-users, especially in the schizophrenia cases, who showed robust GMD reductions in fronto-temporal and parietal cortex, as well as subcortical regions.

(Now, here is where it gets interesting!) Adolescent cannabis use was linked to FEWER reductions in gray matter, especially in schizophrenic patients who usually show large reductions in their gray matter. This MAY mean that adolescent cannabis use can partially protect against the physical changes in the brain that schizophrenia causes!

Notably, total and regional GMD estimates in individuals with psychosis and ACU were not different from controls with no ACU.

It "blew their minds" that in adolescent cannabis users with psychosis, their brains were no different than the control's brains when they measured the total and regional amounts of gray matter.

These data indicate that the history of ACU in psychotic individuals is associated with attenuated GMD abnormalities.

So apparently, early cannabis use may prevent the physical brain abnormalities that psychosis causes.

Future investigations targeting potential unique etiological and risk factors associated with psychosis in individuals with ACU may help in understanding of the neurobiology of psychotic disorders and novel treatment options for these individuals.

We gotta look into this more! This might lead to new treatments!



Granny