Effects of Chronic Marijuana Use on Brain Activity During Monetary Decision-Making

Jatin G Vaidya; Robert I Block; Daniel S O'Leary; Laura B Ponto; Mohamed M Ghoneim; Antoine Bechara

doi:10.1038/npp.2011.227

Back

Effects of Chronic Marijuana Use on Brain Activity During Monetary Decision-Making

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Effects of Chronic Marijuana Use on Brain Activity During Monetary Decision-Making

Jatin G Vaidya, Robert I Block, Daniel S O'Leary, Laura B Ponto, Mohamed M Ghoneim and Antoine Bechara

Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.), Vol.37(3), pp.618-629

02/2012

DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.227

PMCID: PMC3260974

PMID: 21956445

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2011.227View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Marijuana (MJ) acutely acts on cannabinoid receptors that are found in numerous brain regions, including those involved in reward processing and decision-making. However, it remains unclear how long-term, chronic MJ use alters reward-based decision-making. In the present study, using [ 15 O]water PET imaging, we measured brain activity in chronic MJ users, who underwent monitored abstinence from MJ for approximately 24 h before imaging, and control participants, while they took part in the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a monetary decision making task that strongly relies on the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). During PET imaging, participants took part in the standard and a variant version of the IGT as well as a control task. Chronic MJ users performed equally well on the standard IGT, but significantly worse than controls on the variant IGT. Chronic MJ users and control subjects showed increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the vmPFC on both versions of the IGT compared to the control task. In the two-group comparison, chronic MJ users showed significantly greater rCBF than controls in the vmPFC on the standard IGT and greater activity in the cerebellum on both versions of the IGT. Furthermore, duration of use, but not age of first use, was associated with greater activity in the vmPFC. Thus, chronic MJ users tend to strongly recruit neural circuitry involved in decision-making and reward processing (vmPFC), and probabilistic learning (cerebellum) when performing the IGT.

decision-making

ventromedial prefrontal cortex

marijuana

Original

chronic use

cerebellum

PET

addiction & substance abuse; cannabinoids; cognition; decision-making; imaging; clinical or preclinical; PET; prefrontal cortex

Details

Title: Subtitle: Effects of Chronic Marijuana Use on Brain Activity During Monetary Decision-Making
Creators: Jatin G Vaidya - Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Robert I Block - Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Daniel S O'Leary - Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Laura B Ponto - PET Center, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Mohamed M Ghoneim - Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
Antoine Bechara - Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Neuropsychopharmacology (New York, N.Y.), Vol.37(3), pp.618-629
DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.227
PMID: 21956445
PMCID: PMC3260974
NLM abbreviation: Neuropsychopharmacology
ISSN: 0893-133X
eISSN: 1740-634X
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Alternative title: Effects of chronic marijuana use on the brain
Language: English
Date published: 02/2012
Academic Unit: Radiology; Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics; Anesthesia; University College Courses
Record Identifier: 9984003956402771

Metrics

24 Record Views

50 Times Cited - Web of Science