title: Thalamic and Cerebellar Gray Matter Volume Reduction in Synthetic Cannabinoids Users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Synthetic cannabinoids are compounds that bind cannabinoid receptors with a high potency and have been used widely in Europe by young people. However, little is known about the pharmacology and morphological effects of this group of substances in the brain. This study is aimed at investigating the morphological differences among synthetic cannabinoids users and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Voxel-based morphometry was used to investigate the differences in brain tissue composition in 20 patients with synthetic cannabinoids use and 20 healthy controls. All participants were male.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to healthy controls, voxel of interest analyses showed that regional grey matter volume in both left and right thalamus and left cerebellum was significantly reduced in synthetic cannabinoids users (p < 0.05). No correlation has been found between the age of first cannabis use, duration of use, frequency of use and grey matter volume.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results suggest an evidence of some structural differences in the brain of synthetic cannabinoids users, and point the need for further investigation of morphological effects of synthetic cannabinoids in the brain.
authors.affiliation: NPISTANBUL Neuropsychiatry Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nurmedov
authors.forename: Baris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Metin
authors.forename: Sehadet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekmen
authors.forename: Onur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Noyan
authors.forename: Onat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Asli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darcin
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dilbaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications*; D059906:Neuroimaging; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids