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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Cannabis dependence: Effects of cannabis consumption on inter-regional cerebral metabolic relationships in an Indian
Shubhangi R Parkar1, Seethalakshmi Ramanathan, Narendra Nair
1Department of Psychiatry, Seth GS Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Background:
The effects of cannabis consumption on neurophysiological function have been a matter of considerable debate. With the legalization of medical marijuana, understanding the consequences of cannabis dependence has become extremely important.
Aim:
We attempted to understand the influence of cannabis on cerebral glucose metabolism in certain predetermined regions of interest (ROIs). Furthermore, we also explored inter-regional metabolic relationships between ROIs forming the "addiction" and "cognitive dysmetria" circuit.
Materials And Methods:
2-fluoro, 2-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) scans were carried out in 16 male patients (age: 25.3±10.38 years) with cannabis dependence, 8-12 hours after the last cannabis consumption. Resting glucose uptake in 14 pre-determined ROIs was compared with glucose uptake in 16 non-drug using volunteers (age: 29.2±8.39 years).
Results:
The two groups differed in their lateral and medial temporal glucose uptakes by approximately 16-24%. The relationships between inter-regional glucose uptakes in the two circuits were compared using the Chow Test. Significant differences in inter-regional correlations in the medial temporo-frontal and parieto-thalamic were noted between the two groups.
Conclusion:
The altered metabolic relationships among various brain regions can have potentially important implications for understanding cannabis dependence and cannabis-induced psychopathology.
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