Cerebellar thickness changes associated with heavy cannabis use: A 3-year longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Addiction Research
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Cannabis is a globally prevalent illicit substance.
• Previous cross-sectional studies suggest chronic cannabis use may alter cerebellar morphology.
• Longitudinal data are needed to establish causality between cannabis use and cerebellar changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal relationship between persistent cannabis use and cerebellar thickness alterations in young adults.
• To explore whether heavy cannabis exposure affects cerebellar structure over time.
• To identify potential neuroimaging biomarkers for cannabis use disorder.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal T1-structural MRI scans were acquired at baseline and 3-year follow-up.
• Twenty heavy cannabis users (CBs) and 22 non-cannabis-using controls (HCs) participated.
• Psychological assessments, including CUDIT and AUDIT scores, were administered.

Main Results:

• All cerebellar subregions, except lobule VIIB, showed age-related thickness changes in both groups.
• Lobules VI and CrusI exhibited higher rates of thickness increase in CBs compared to HCs.
• Alterations in lobules VI and CrusI correlated with age of first cannabis use and CUDIT scores.

Conclusions:

• Increased cerebellar thickness rate in young adulthood may be a risk factor for heavy cannabis use.
• Cannabis use impacts cerebellar structure, with specific lobules showing altered growth patterns.
• Monitoring cerebellar structural changes could aid in developing clinical tools for cannabis use disorder.