History of cannabis use is not associated with alterations in striatal dopamine D 2 /D 3 receptor availability
Paul Stokes, Alice Egerton, Ben Watson, Alistair Reid, Julia Lappin, Oliver Howes, David Nutt, Anne Lingford‐hughes
Journal of Psychopharmacology September 2, 2011 DOI: 10.1177/0269881111414090 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractCannabis use during adolescence is considered a risk factor for psychosis, and animal studies indicate that THC, the psychoactive component, alters striatal dopamine transmission. This study compared striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in ten volunteers with a history of cannabis use and ten controls using PET scans. No significant differences in receptor availability were found between groups, nor any correlation with lifetime cannabis use frequency. However, limbic striatal receptor availability was ten percent lower in current nicotine smokers. These results suggest that, unlike other drugs of abuse, a history of cannabis use is not associated with changes in striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case-control study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Volunteers with a history of cannabis use and control volunteers |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Raclopride Psychology Dopaminergic Striatum |
| Citations | 62 |
| Key finding | No significant differences in striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability were found between cannabis users and controls. |
Abstract
Cannabis use in adolescence is emerging as a risk factor for the development of psychosis. In animal studies, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, modulates striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission. Alterations in human striatal dopaminergic function have also been reported both in psychosis and in stimulant use. We sought to examine whether striatal dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptor availability was altered in volunteers with a history of cannabis use using a database of previously acquired [(11)C]-raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Ten [(11)C]-raclopride scans from volunteers with a history of cannabis use were compared to ten control scans using a functional striatal subdivision region of interest (ROI) analysis. No significant differences in either overall striatal BP(ND) values or BP(ND) values in any functional striatal subdivision were found between the two groups. There was also no correlation between lifetime frequency of cannabis use and BP(ND) values. Limbic striatal BP(ND) values were ten percent lower in current nicotine cigarette smokers. These findings suggest that, unlike other drugs of abuse, a history of cannabis use is not associated with alterations in striatal dopamine D(2)/D(3) receptor availability.