NEURAL EFFECTS OF CHRONIC CANNABIS EXPOSURE IN HUMAN ADOLESCENTS

P20应用中的这个项目是：慢性暴露于大麻对人类的神经影响 青少年。总体假设是，吸食大麻导致额叶皮质功能失调。 执行认知功能，从而增加对大麻依赖的脆弱性。就像青春期一样 以大脑持续发育为特征，这可能是一个特别脆弱的时期。因此，大脑 将对15-17岁的青少年进行功能表征，以评估大脑和行为 使用神经心理测试和功能测试发现与长期吸食大麻有关的异常 磁共振成像(FMRI)。 大麻吸毒者(n=30)和人口学上相似的正常对照组(n=30)将不再患有精神疾病或 神经问题或大量其他物质的参与，使用者将有200年的寿命 与大麻的接触。所有青少年将接受(1)神经心理测试，重点是抑制、言语 学习和其他执行功能，以及(2)先前显示的抑制任务期间的fMRI 激活前额叶区域，并在使用剑桥自动神经心理测试期间 电池(Cantabb)任务，涉及额叶区域，具有非人类灵长类类似物。然后，年轻人会 接受28天的监控戒毒期，包括在28天内9次来到研究地点 为尿液药物筛查提供观察样本。每周，一组简短的可重复使用的Canabb 将进行测试，并对大麻戒断、情绪状态、皮质醇和睡眠进行主观评级 质量将被收集。在第27天，受试者将重复完整的神经心理学单元，并在 第28天，参与者将获得相同的fMRI方案。 MANCOVA将对比不同组之间和不同时间的测试表现和前额叶大脑反应， 控制潜在的混乱。评估在持续时间和慢性化方面的发育差异 数据将直接与梅森博士实施的类似措施进行对比 此P20应用程序中的项目。研究结果还将与青少年非人灵长类动物的结果进行比较。 和分别来自塔菲博士和帕森斯博士中心项目的啮齿动物。总之，这些项目和 该中心的基础设施和培训将有助于确定易受大麻伤害的机制。 依赖，并表征与慢性重度大麻相关的潜在神经毒性异常 在青年时期使用。

This project within the P20 application is: Neural Effects of Chronic Cannabis Exposure in Human Adolescents. The overall hypothesis is that dysregulation of frontal cortex function by cannabis use impairs executive cognitive function, thereby increasing vulnerability to cannabis dependence. As adolescence is characterized by ongoing brain development, this may be a particularly vulnerable period. Thus, brain functioning will be characterized in human adolescents ages 15-17 to evaluate brain and behavioral abnormalities associated with chronic cannabis use using neuropsychological testing and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Cannabis users (n=30) and demographically similar normal controls (n=30) will be free from psychiatric or neurological problems or substantial other substance involvement, and users will have >200 lifetimes exposures to cannabis. All youths will receive (1) neuropsychological testing focused on inhibition, verbal learning, and other executive functions as well as (2) fMRI during an inhibitory task previously shown to activate prefrontal regions, and during administration of Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) tasks that involve frontal regions and have non-human primate analogs. Then, youths will undergo a 28-day monitored abstinence period involving coming to the research site 9 times in 28 days for provision of an observed sample for urine drug screening. Each week, a brief battery of repeatable CANTAB tests will be administered, and subjective ratings of cannabis withdrawal, mood state, cortisol, and sleep quality will be collected. On the 27 day, subjects will repeat the full neuropsychological battery, and on the 28th day, participants will be given the same fMRI protocol. MANCOVA will contrast test performance and prefrontal brain response between groups and across time, controlling for potential confounds. To evaluate developmental differences in duration and chronicity of cannabis exposure, data will be contrasted directly with similar measures administered in Dr. Mason's project within this P20 application. Results will also be compared to those of adolescent non-human primates and rodents from the Center projects of Drs. Taffe and Parsons, respectively. Together, these projects and the infrastructure and training of the Center will help identify mechanisms for vulnerability to cannabis dependence, and characterize the potential neurotoxic abnormalities associated with chronic heavy cannabis use in youth.