scholarly journals Different Effects of Cannabis Abuse on Adolescent and Adult Brain

Pharmacology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 609-617
Author(s):  
Stefan Dhein
Keyword(s):  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Cannabis Abuse ◽  
The Past ◽  
Neuronal Growth Factor ◽  
Culturing Conditions ◽  
Neuronal Conversion ◽  
The Brain

Cannabis abuse is a common phenomenon among adolescents. The dominant psychoactive substance in <i>Cannabis sativa</i> is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, in the past 40 years the content of the psychoactive ingredient THC in most of the preparations is not constant but has increased due to other breeding and culturing conditions. THC acts as the endocannabinoids at CB1 and CB2 receptors but pharmacologically can be described as a partial (not a pure) agonist. Recent evidence shows that activation of the CB1 receptor by THC can diminish the production of neuronal growth factor in neurons and affect other signalling cascades involved in synapsis formation. Since these factors play an important role in the brain development and in the neuronal conversion processes during puberty, it seems reasonable that THC can affect the adolescent brain in another manner than the adult brain. Accordingly, in adolescent cannabis users structural changes were observed with loss of grey matter in certain brain areas. Moreover, recent studies show different effects of THC on adolescent and adult brains and on behaviour. These studies indicate that early THC abuse can result in neuropsychological deficits. This review gives an overview over the present knowledge in this field.

scholarly journals Ischemic stroke following abuse of Marijuana in a Nigerian adult male

2014 ◽  
Vol 05 (04) ◽  
pp. 417-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olalekan Oyinloye ◽  
Donald Nzeh ◽  
Ayodeji Yusuf ◽  
Emmanuel Sanya
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Cerebral Arteries ◽  
Cannabis Abuse ◽  
The Past ◽  
Middle Cerebral Arteries ◽  
Stroke In The Young ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACTCannabis is the most widely used illicit drug among adolescents and young adults. Despite its widespread use, only a few reports exist on the association of cannabis use and stroke. A 26-year-old Nigerian male, developed right-sided ischemic stroke few hours after smoking three wraps of cannabis. He had smoked cannabis consistently for the past 4 years prior to the development of the stroke. Known stroke etiology and abuse of other illicit drugs were ruled out from history and investigations. Neuroimaging studies of the brain revealed infarcts in basal ganglia secondary to occlusion of blood flow in the left anterior and middle cerebral arteries. The mechanism of stroke in this patient was thought to be a cannabis-induced vasculopathy. Many cases of stroke in the young are increasingly being seen in hospitals in resource scarce countries. There seems to be a predilection for the basal ganglia in ischemic stroke following cannabis abuse. Therefore, cannabis abuse should be considered in young adults with basal ganglia infarcts, after excluding other known etiologies.

scholarly journals Early Cannabinoid Exposure as a Source of Vulnerability to Opiate Addiction: A Model in Laboratory Rodents

1998 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 39-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Navarro ◽  
Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Cannabinoid Receptor ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Opiate Abuse ◽  
Laboratory Rodents ◽  
Endogenous Cannabinoid ◽  
Arachidonoyl Glycerol ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Endogenous Cannabinoid System

Recent findings have identified an endogenous brain system mediating the actions of cannabis sativa preparations. This system includes the brain cannabinoid receptor (CB-1) and its endogenous ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol. The endogenous cannabinoid system is not only present in the adult brain, but is also active at early stages of brain development. Studies developed at our laboratory have revealed that maternal exposure to psychoactive cannabinoid results in neuro-developmental alterations. A model is proposed in which early Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure during critical developmental periods results in permanent alterations in brain function by either the stimulation of CB-1 receptors present during the development, or by the alterations in maternal glucocorticoid secretion. Those alterations will be revealed in adulthood after challenges either with drugs (i.e. opiates) or with environmental stressors (i.e. novelty). They will include a modified pattern of neuro-chemical, endocrine, and behavioral responses that might lead ultimately to inadaptation and vulnerability to opiate abuse.

scholarly journals Linguistic immersion and structural effects on the bilingual brain: a longitudinal study

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 1160-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
VINCENT DELUCA ◽  
JASON ROTHMAN ◽  
CHRISTOS PLIATSIKAS
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Language Training ◽  
Volumetric Change ◽  
Left Caudate ◽  
The Brain

Learning and using additional languages can result in structural changes in the brain. However, the time course of these changes, as well as the factors the predict them, are still not well understood. In this longitudinal study we test the effects of bilingual immersion on brain structure of adult sequential bilinguals not undergoing any language training, who were scanned twice, three years apart. We observed significant increases in grey matter volume in the lower left cerebellum, mean white matter diffusivity in the frontal cortex, and reshaping of the left caudate nucleus and amygdala and bilateral hippocampus. Moreover, both prior length of immersion and L2 age of acquisition were significant predictors of volumetric change in the cerebellum. Taken together, these results indicate that bilingualism-induced neurological changes continue to take place across the lifespan and are strongly related to the quantity and quality of bilingual immersion, even in highly-immersed adult bilingual populations.

Changes in Regional Brain Grey-Matter Volume Following Successful Completion of a Sensori-Motor Intervention Targeted at Healthy and Fall-Prone Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 317-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia O’Callaghan ◽  
Alan O’Dowd ◽  
John Stapleton ◽  
Niamh A. Merriman ◽  
Eugenie Roudaia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Balance Control ◽  
Grey Matter Volume ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Volume Increase ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain

Previous studies have suggested that discrete cross-sensory events could be incorrectly combined in the brain of older adults with a history of falls, possibly undermining motor and balance control. Based on previous findings that multisensory integration is modifiable with practice, even in an ageing population, we designed a serious game, named CityQuest, to train typical, everyday multisensory processes including sensori-motor control, spatial navigation, obstacle avoidance and balance control. Played over several sessions, this game was shown to improve these functions in older adults with and without a history of falls, depending on the specific condition of the game on which they were trained. Here, using voxel-based morphometry analysis of anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, we investigated structural changes in the brain of a smaller group of older adults from those who successfully completed this five-week intervention. A grey-matter (GM) volume increase in the precentral gyrus, and GM volume reduction in the inferior temporal and orbitofrontal gyri, was found for all participants. Changes in GM volume within regions of the cerebellum were differentially associated with fall-prone and healthy older adults. Furthermore, a greater GM volume increase in the precentral gyrus was observed in participants who performed the full CityQuest intervention relative to those required to avoid obstacles only. Our results support previous evidence that multisensory training can affect structural changes in the older brain and have implications for programmes designed for the successful rehabilitation of perceptual and cognitive functions.

scholarly journals Neuroanatomical voxel-based profile of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 312-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Maggioni ◽  
M. Bellani ◽  
A. C. Altamura ◽  
P. Brambilla
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
The Brain

Although schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) share elements of pathology (Ellison-Wright and Bullmore, 2009), the neural mechanisms underlying these disorders are still under investigation. Up until now, many neuroimaging studies investigated the brain structural differences of SCZ and BD compared with healthy controls (HC), trying to identify the possible neuroanatomical markers for the two disorders. However, just a few studies focused on the brain structural changes between the two diagnoses. The present review summarises the findings of the voxel-based grey matter (GM) comparisons between SCZ and BD, with the objective to highlight the possible consistent anatomical differences between the two disorders. While the comparisons between patients and HC highlighted overlapping areas of GM reduction in insula and anterior cingulate cortex, the SCZ–BD comparisons suggest the presence of more generalised GM deficits in SCZ compared with BD. Indeed, in a number of studies, SCZ patients showed lower GM volumes than BD patients in fronto-temporal cortex, thalamus, hippocampus and amygdala. Conversely, only a couple of studies reported GM deficits in BD compared with SCZ, both at the level of cerebellum. In summary, the two disorders exhibit both common and specific neuroanatomical characteristics, whose knowledge is mandatory to develop innovative diagnostic and treatment strategies.

scholarly journals Structural plasticity of the adult brain

2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-141 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Damage ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Plasticity ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Brain Cells ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

The adult brain has long been considered stable and unchanging, except for the inevitable decline that occurs with aqinq. This view is now being challenged with clear evidence that structural changes occur in the brain throughout life, including the generation of new neurons and other brain cells, and connections between and among neurons. What is as remarkable is that the changes that occur in the adult brain are influenced by the behaviors an individual engages in, as well as the environment in which an individual lives, works, and plays. Learning how behavior and environment regulate brain structure and function will lead to strategies to live more effective lives and perhaps protect from, or repair, brain damage and brain disease.

Native Ubiquitin Structural Changes Resulting from Complexation with β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Mae Wilson ◽  
Aurora Burkus-Matesevac ◽  
Samuel Maddox ◽  
Christopher Chouinard
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Noncovalent Complex ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Protein Size ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Critical Binding ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has been linked to the development of neurodegenerative (ND) symptoms following chronic environmental exposure through water and dietary sources. The brains of those affected by this condition, often referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS-PDC), have exhibited the presence of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) from protein aggregation. Although numerous studies have sought to better understand the correlation between BMAA exposure and onset of ND symptoms, no definitive link has been identified. One prevailing hypothesis is that BMAA acts a small molecule ligand, complexing with critical proteins in the brain and reducing their function. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of BMAA exposure on the native structure of ubiquitin. We hypothesized that formation of a Ubiquitin+BMAA noncovalent complex would alter the protein’s structure and folding and ultimately affect the ubiquitinproteasome system (UPS) and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Ion mobility-mass spectrometry revealed that at sufficiently high concentrations BMAA did in fact form a noncovalent complex with ubiquitin, however similar complexes were identified for a range of additional amino acids. Collision induced unfolding (CIU) was used to interrogate the unfolding dynamics of native ubiquitin and these Ubq-amino acid complexes and it was determined that complexation with BMAA led to a significant alteration in native protein size and conformation, and this complex required considerably more energy to unfold. This indicates that the complex remains more stable under native conditions and this may indicate that BMAA has attached to a critical binding location.

Native Ubiquitin Structural Changes Resulting from Complexation with β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Mae Wilson ◽  
Aurora Burkus-Matesevac ◽  
Samuel Maddox ◽  
Christopher Chouinard
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Noncovalent Complex ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Protein Size ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Unfolded Protein Response ◽  
Critical Binding ◽  
Protein Response ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has been linked to the development of neurodegenerative (ND) symptoms following chronic environmental exposure through water and dietary sources. The brains of those affected by this condition, often referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS-PDC), have exhibited the presence of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) from protein aggregation. Although numerous studies have sought to better understand the correlation between BMAA exposure and onset of ND symptoms, no definitive link has been identified. One prevailing hypothesis is that BMAA acts a small molecule ligand, complexing with critical proteins in the brain and reducing their function. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of BMAA exposure on the native structure of ubiquitin. We hypothesized that formation of a Ubiquitin+BMAA noncovalent complex would alter the protein’s structure and folding and ultimately affect the ubiquitinproteasome system (UPS) and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Ion mobility-mass spectrometry revealed that at sufficiently high concentrations BMAA did in fact form a noncovalent complex with ubiquitin, however similar complexes were identified for a range of additional amino acids. Collision induced unfolding (CIU) was used to interrogate the unfolding dynamics of native ubiquitin and these Ubq-amino acid complexes and it was determined that complexation with BMAA led to a significant alteration in native protein size and conformation, and this complex required considerably more energy to unfold. This indicates that the complex remains more stable under native conditions and this may indicate that BMAA has attached to a critical binding location.

Individual differences in white and grey matter structure associated with verbal habits of thought

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin C. Hayes ◽  
Katherine L Alfred ◽  
Rachel Pizzie ◽  
Joshua S. Cetron ◽  
David J. M. Kraemer
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Self Report ◽  
White Matter Tracts

Modality specific encoding habits account for a significant portion of individual differences reflected in functional activation during cognitive processing. Yet, little is known about how these habits of thought influence long-term structural changes in the brain. Traditionally, habits of thought have been assessed using self-report questionnaires such as the visualizer-verbalizer questionnaire. Here, rather than relying on subjective reports, we measured habits of thought using a novel behavioral task assessing attentional biases toward picture and word stimuli. Hypothesizing that verbal habits of thought are reflected in the structural integrity of white matter tracts and cortical regions of interest, we used diffusion tensor imaging and volumetric analyses to assess this prediction. Using a whole-brain approach, we show that word bias is associated with increased volume in several bilateral language regions, in both white and grey matter parcels. Additionally, connectivity within white matter tracts within an a priori speech production network increased as a function of word bias. These results demonstrate long-term structural and morphological differences associated with verbal habits of thought.

Neuro-Clinical Signatures of Language Impairments: A Theoretical Framework for Function-to-structure Mapping in Clinics

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 800-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferath Kherif ◽  
Sandrine Muller
Keyword(s):  
Brain Mapping ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Language Impairments ◽  
Structure Mapping ◽  
Language Functions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Language Recovery ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Bow Tie

In the past decades, neuroscientists and clinicians have collected a considerable amount of data and drastically increased our knowledge about the mapping of language in the brain. The emerging picture from the accumulated knowledge is that there are complex and combinatorial relationships between language functions and anatomical brain regions. Understanding the underlying principles of this complex mapping is of paramount importance for the identification of the brain signature of language and Neuro-Clinical signatures that explain language impairments and predict language recovery after stroke. We review recent attempts to addresses this question of language-brain mapping. We introduce the different concepts of mapping (from diffeomorphic one-to-one mapping to many-to-many mapping). We build those different forms of mapping to derive a theoretical framework where the current principles of brain architectures including redundancy, degeneracy, pluri-potentiality and bow-tie network are described.

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