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Updated: May 16, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
A preliminary examination of how serotonergic polymorphisms influence brain response following an adolescent cannabis
Sarah W Feldstein Ewing1, Hilary K Mead, Uma Yezhuvath
1University of New Mexico Center on Alcohol and Substance Abuse Addictions, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC06 3890, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. swfeld@unm.edu
Abstract:
Given the link between depression, anxiety, and cannabis abuse, a serotonin receptor (rs6311) and transporter polymorphism (rs2020936) were examined as moderators of neural response as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging following a psychosocial treatment for cannabis use disorders (CUDs). While the proposed hypotheses were unsupported, we found that the rs6311 C allele was significantly related to brain activation (medial frontal gyrus, precuneus), indicating the role of this serotonin receptor in adolescent treatment response.

