Cannabis Use Correlates With Smaller Hippocampus, Amygdala
But we’re talking stoner hall of fame: the equivalent of 7 joints (~20 cones) per day for 10 years or longer.
Australian investigators found that MRI* volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala—cannabinoid-rich areas of the brain—were significantly smaller in 15 “carefully selected” heavy marijuana users, when compared with 16 matched controls. In particular, left (but not right) hippocampal volume correlated inversely with long-term cannabis use (r = -0.62), suggesting that the left hippocampus may be especially vulnerable to the drug’s effects. Left hippocampal volume also correlated inversely with “subthreshold” psychotic symptoms (r = -0.77).
HT: Forbes.
*High-resolution 3-Tesla.
Image of groovy glass pipe from Wikimedia Commons.
A native East Tennessean, Barbara Martin is a formerly practicing, board-certified neurologist who received her BS (psychology, summa cum laude) and MD from Duke University before completing her postgraduate training (internship, residency, fellowship) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She has worked in academia, private practice, medical publishing, drug market research, and continuing medical education (CME). For the last 3 years, she has worked in a freelance capacity as a medical writer, analyst, and consultant. Follow Dr. Barbara Martin on Google + and Twitter.
