Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA .
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2013 Nov;39(6):414-23. doi: 10.3109/00952990.2013.837914.
Adolescence is a unique neurodevelopmental period when regions of the brain most able to assess risk and reward are still in development. Cannabis use during adolescence has been associated with persistent negative outcomes. Although measures of resting brain activity are useful in assessing functional connectivity, such measures have not been broadly applied in adolescent cannabis-users.
The goal of the present study was to analyze the associations between cannabis use and resting brain activity in a sample of high-risk adolescents.
Eighty-two high-risk youth between 14-18 years old were recruited from a juvenile justice day program. Youth completed a brief neurocognitive battery including assessments of cannabis use and a 5-minute resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Intrinsic connectivity networks were extracted using the GIFT toolbox. Brain activity in a fronto-temporal network was compared in youth with high cannabis use vs. low cannabis use using an independent-samples t-test with alcohol use entered as a covariate.
Analysis revealed two elements within the fronto-temporal network related to cannabis use: one in middle frontal gyrus related to high cannabis use, and one in middle temporal gyrus related to low cannabis use. Only the frontal source survived application of a cluster size threshold and was significant at p < 0.005.
These results are consistent with patterns of activity in adult cannabis-users. The observed effect may reflect either pre-existing risk factors or near-term consequences of cannabis use. Prevention and intervention strategies that address fronto-temporal functioning may be particularly helpful in this population.
青春期是大脑中最能评估风险和回报的区域仍在发育的独特神经发育阶段。青少年时期使用大麻会导致持续的负面后果。尽管静息脑活动的测量在评估功能连接方面很有用，但这些测量在青少年大麻使用者中并未广泛应用。
本研究的目的是在高危青少年样本中分析大麻使用与静息脑活动之间的关联。
从少年司法日计划中招募了 82 名 14-18 岁的高危青少年。青少年完成了一个简短的神经认知测试，包括大麻使用评估和 5 分钟的静息功能磁共振成像（fMRI）扫描。使用 GIFT 工具包提取内在连接网络。使用独立样本 t 检验比较高大麻使用与低大麻使用青少年的额颞网络中的大脑活动，将酒精使用作为协变量。
分析显示，与大麻使用相关的额颞网络中有两个元素：一个与高大麻使用相关的中额回，一个与低大麻使用相关的中颞回。只有额部源在应用聚类大小阈值后仍然存在，且在 p<0.005 时具有统计学意义。
这些结果与成年大麻使用者的活动模式一致。观察到的效应可能反映了大麻使用的既有风险因素或近期后果。针对额颞叶功能的预防和干预策略在该人群中可能特别有帮助。
