DTI-MRI findings in synthetic cannabinoid users

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Toxicology
• Neurology

Background:

• Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are full agonists of cannabinoid receptors.
• Conventional MRI in SC users shows diffusion restriction and T2/FLAIR hyperintensity.
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies on SC users have yielded conflicting results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define white matter (WM) changes in SC users using DTI.
• To investigate microstructural alterations in the brains of individuals using synthetic cannabinoids.
• To assess the utility of DTI in identifying early neurological changes associated with SC abuse.

Main Methods:

• Included 22 SC users and 22 age/sex-matched healthy controls.
• Acquired diffusion imaging data using 41 diffusion gradient directions.
• Obtained fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values from regions of interest (ROIs) in normal-appearing white matter.

Main Results:

• SC users exhibited significantly lower FA values in the left temporal lobe and right hippocampus.
• SC users showed significantly higher ADC values in the hippocampus and temporal lobes on both sides compared to controls.
• These findings indicate microstructural changes in the white matter of SC users.

Conclusions:

• Synthetic cannabinoid use causes white matter microstructural changes, particularly in the hippocampus and temporal lobes.
• DTI is effective in revealing white matter alterations in SC addicts.
• DTI may detect these neurological changes earlier than conventional MRI.