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Chronic THC Exposure in Adolescence Linked With Increased Memory Loss, Anxiety
Chronic exposure to THC in adolescence, the main psychoactive component in cannabis, may induce long-lasting memory impairments and increased anxiety, according to a study conducted recently by researchers in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario.
Findings were published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Beyond exploring potential negative consequences of cannabis exposure during adolescence, the study was aimed at also helping researchers gain a better understanding of the risks of developing neuropsychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia, stemming from sustained cannabis use through adolescence.
Using a rodent model that pinpoints 2 parts of the brain, the study showed evidence of abnormalities in each region after THC exposure. Molecular and neuronal anomalies in part of the hippocampus might be independently responsible for cognitive and emotional side effects observed, according to a submission from the researchers published by the website MedicalXpress. Meanwhile, the study also confirmed previous research conducted in the same lab showing long-lasting disturbances induced by adolescent THC exposure.
“Adolescents consuming cannabis may not be thinking of the negative long-term impacts. Our findings suggest adolescent cannabis use may affect cognitive and emotional functions through different brain pathways," said study senior author Steven Laviolette, a professor in the Schulich School’s departments of anatomy and cell biology and psychiatry.
“The detailed anatomical findings of the study give us a chance to use more targeted interventions that might reverse the long-lasting impairments and symptoms following cannabis exposure during adolescence."
References
De Felice M, Chen C, Rodríguez-Ruiz M, et al. Adolescent Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure induces differential acute and long-term neuronal and molecular disturbances in dorsal vs. ventral hippocampal subregions. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2022. doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01496-x
