Cognition and MRI in Adolescent Cannabis Users

描述（由申请人提供）： 大麻是青少年中使用最广泛的非法药物;然而，长期使用的长期神经后果相对而言研究不足。大麻对大脑结构的影响产生了不一致的结果，因为一些人发现了大脑体积的差异，而另一些人则没有。研究长期使用大麻的认知影响的研究主要证明了记忆和注意力的微妙缺陷。令人关切的是，目前的文献缺乏充分评估青少年在神经成熟的关键时期接触大麻的影响的研究。因此，该项目的目标是研究青春期后期使用大麻是否与通过磁共振成像（MRI）和神经心理功能测量的长期大脑结构变化有关。性别也将被探讨为大脑结构，神经心理功能和大麻使用之间的潜在调节变量。将从两组16-18岁的青少年中收集数据：1）大麻使用者和2）已验证禁欲28天的非药物使用对照组。基于动物模型和人类现有数据，假设大麻的使用将与前额叶和小脑区域的脑容量减少以及学习和记忆，工作记忆，注意力，执行功能和心理速度测试中的认知表现较差有关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance among adolescents; however, the long-term neural consequences of chronic use are relatively understudied. The effects of cannabis on brain structure have yielded inconsistent results, as some have found differences in brain volume and others have not. Studies examining the cognitive effects of chronic cannabis use have primarily demonstrated subtle deficits in memory and attention. Of concern is that the current literature lacks studies that adequately assess the effects of cannabis exposure in adolescents during the critical period of neuromaturation. Therefore, the goal of this project is to examine whether cannabis use during late adolescence is associated with long-lasting brain structural changes, measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and neuropsychological functioning. Gender will also be explored as a potential moderator variable between brain structure, neuropsychological functioning, and cannabis use. Data will be collected from two groups of 16-18 year old adolescents: 1) Cannabis users and 2) Non-drug using controls who have verified 28-days of abstinence. Based on animal models and existing data in humans, it is hypothesized that cannabis use will be associated with decreased brain volume in prefrontal and cerebellar regions and poorer cognitive performance on tests of learning and memory, working memory, attention, executive functioning, and psychomotor speed.