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are in Research Effects
of frequent marijuana use on brain tissue volume and compositionby
Robert I. Block et al, NeuroReport, Vol. 11, Issue 3, pp 491-496 (abstract only) RECEIVED:
10 November 1999 ACCEPTED:
3 December 1999 AUTHOR:
Robert I. Block*, Daniel S. O'Leary~, James C. Ehrhardt±, Jean C. Augustinack§,
M. M. Ghoneim¶, Stephan Arndt**, James A. Hall~~ Full
paper here, not on public access. ADDRESS:
*Department of Anesthesia, Westlawn Building, Room 5140, University of Iowa, Iowa
City, IA 52242-1100, USA; ~Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa
City, IA 52242-1100, USA; ±Department of Radiology, University of Iowa,
Iowa City, IA 52242-1100, USA; §Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University
of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1100, USA; ¶Department of Anesthesia, Westlawn
Building, Room 5140, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1100, USA; **Department
of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1100, USA; ~~School of
Social Work, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242-1100, USA To
investigate CNS effects of frequent marijuana use, brain tissue volume and composition
were measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 18 current, frequent,
young adult marijuana users and 13 comparable, non-using controls. Automated image
analysis techniques were used to measure global and regional brain volumes, including,
for most regions, separate measures of gray and white matter. The marijuana users
showed no evidence of cerebral atrophy or global or regional changes in tissue
volumes. Volumes of ventricular CSF were not higher in marijuana users than controls,
but were, in fact, lower. There were no clinically significant abnormalities in
any subject's MRI. Sex differences were detected in several global volume measures.
NeuroReport 11:491-496 © 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. |
