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Researchers: Marijuana delivers double whammy to brain

A study by researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas published Wednesday in Science Daily indicates the type of adverse effects marijuana has on the brains of young people depends on the age they started using and amount ingested.
In short, researchers discovered study participants who began using marijuana at the age of 16 or younger demonstrated alterations that suggest arrested brain development in the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is essentially responsible for synthesizing thoughts into judgment, reasoning and complex thinking. The study also showed individuals who began using marijuana after age 16 demonstrated signs of accelerated brain aging.
Previous studies have shown the regular use of marijuana to have adverse effects on the brain, but this study was able to break it down to show differing long-term effects of cannabis on the brain depending on starting age, frequency of use, and grams ingested.
“Science has shown us that changes in the brain occurring during adolescence are complex. Our findings suggest that the timing of cannabis use can result in very disparate patterns of effects,” explained Francesca Filbey, Ph.D., principal investigator and Bert Moore Chair of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the Center for BrainHealth. “Not only did age of use impact the brain changes but the amount of cannabis used also influenced the extent of altered brain maturation.”
The team of UT researchers analyzed MRI scans of 42 heavy marijuana users, according to Science Daily. Twenty participants were reported as early onset users with a mean age of 13.18 and 22 were labeled as late onset users with a mean age of 16.9. Participants self-reported their ages to be 21-50, and that they began using marijuana during adolescence and continued throughout adulthood, using cannabis at least one time per week.
MRI results revealed that early onset users that consumed the most marijuana developed a cortical thickness with less gray and white matter contrast and less intricate gyrification when compared to late onset users. The three traits suggest that among participants using before age 16, the amount of deviation was directly proportionate to the average amount of weekly marijuana as measured in years and grams. However, a distinctly different trend was found among study participants who began using marijuana heavily after age 16, showing their brains with thinner cortical thickness and increased gray and white matter contrast. The latter is associated with accelerated aging of the brain.
In layman terms, the researchers found that heavy use of marijuana that starts in adolescence causes abnormalities in the brains of both starting groups, however the changes pointed to very different consequences. “In the early onset group, we found that how many times an individual uses and the amount of marijuana used strongly relates to the degree to which brain development does not follow the normal pruning pattern. The effects observed were above and beyond effects related to alcohol use and age. These findings are in line with the current literature that suggest that cannabis use during adolescence can have long-term consequences,” said Filbey.
The findings suggest a double whammy to young marijuana users. While the younger group is at risk for arrested or altered brain development, participants in the older group presented evidence of accelerated aging of their brains.

For more information: Center for BrainHealth. “Starting age of marijuana use may have long-term effects on brain development.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 February 2016. .

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