Cannabis use in early adolescence: Evidence of amygdala hypersensitivity to signals of threat.
Cannabis use in adolescence may be characterized by differences in the neural basis of affective processing. In this study, we used an fMRI affective face processing task to compare a large group (n=70) of 14-year olds with a history of cannabis use to a group (n=70) of never-using controls matched on numerous characteristics including IQ, SES, alcohol and cigarette use. The task contained short movies displaying angry and neutral faces. Results indicated that cannabis users had greater reactivity in the bilateral amygdalae to angry faces than neutral faces, an effect that was not observed in their abstinent peers. In contrast, activity levels in the cannabis users in cortical areas including the right temporal-parietal junction and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex did not discriminate between the two face conditions, but did differ in controls. Results did not change after excluding subjects with any psychiatric symptomology. Given the high density of cannabinoid receptors in the amygdala, our findings suggest cannabis use in early adolescence is associated with hypersensitivity to signals of threat. Hypersensitivity to negative affect in adolescence may place the subject at-risk for mood disorders in adulthood.
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States. Electronic address: philip.spechler@uvm.edu.
Philip A
PA
Spechler
Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Catherine A
CA
Orr
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Bader
B
Chaarani
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Kees-Jan
KJ
Kan
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Scott
S
Mackey
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Aaron
A
Morton
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Mitchell P
MP
Snowe
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Kelsey E
KE
Hudson
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Robert R
RR
Althoff
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Stephen T
ST
Higgins
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom.
Anna
A
Cattrell
Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany.
Herta
H
Flor
Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Frauke
F
Nees
Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany.
Tobias
T
Banaschewski
Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Arun L W
ALW
Bokde
Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Robert
R
Whelan
University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Haus S10, Martinistr. 52, Hamburg, Germany.
Christian
C
Büchel
Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Canada.
Uli
U
Bromberg
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Canada.
Patricia
P
Conrod
Neurospin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, CEA-Saclay Center, Paris, France.
Vincent
V
Frouin
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
Dimitri
D
Papadopoulos
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
Jurgen
J
Gallinat
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany.
Andreas
A
Heinz
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestr. 2-12, Berlin, Germany.
Henrik
H
Walter
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestr. 2-12, Berlin, Germany.
Bernd
B
Ittermann
School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Penny
P
Gowland
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest and Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada.
Tomáš
T
Paus
Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Luise
L
Poustka
Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale, INSERM CEAUnit1000, "Imaging & Psychiatry", University Paris Sud, 91400 Orsay, France.
Jean-Luc
JL
Martinot
Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest and Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada.
Eric
E
Artiges
Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Michael N
MN
Smolka
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom.
Gunter
G
Schumann
Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, United States.
Hugh
H
Garavan
D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D005145:Face; D005149:Facial Expression; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
Adolescence; Amygdala; Cannabis; Emotion; Face processing; Faces; fMRI