title: Gross morphological brain changes with chronic, heavy cannabis use.
abstract: We investigated the morphology of multiple brain regions in a rare sample of 15 very heavy cannabis users with minimal psychiatric comorbidity or significant exposure to other substances (compared with 15 age- and IQ-matched non-cannabis-using controls) using manual techniques. Heavy cannabis users demonstrated smaller hippocampus and amygdala volumes, but no alterations of the orbitofrontal and anterior- and paracingulate cortices, or the pituitary gland. These findings indicate that chronic cannabis use has a selective and detrimental impact on the morphology of the mediotemporal lobe.
authors.affiliation: Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lorenzetti
authors.affiliation: Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Solowij
authors.affiliation: Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whittle
authors.affiliation: Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fornito
authors.affiliation: Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Dan I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Lubman
authors.affiliation: Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pantelis
authors.affiliation: Valentina Lorenzetti, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Nadia Solowij, PhD, School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, and Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales; Sarah Whittle, PhD, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health and Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria; Alex Fornito, PhD, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Dan I. Lubman, PhD, FAChAM, FRANZCP, Turning Point, Eastern Health, and Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria; Christos Pantelis, MD, MRCPsych, FRANZCP, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria; Murat Yücel, PhD, MAPS, Monash Clinical and Imaging Neuroscience, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yücel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000473:pathology*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult