Neuroimaging in cannabis use: a systematic review of the literature
Psychological Medicine July 23, 2009 R. Martín-Santos, Ana B. Fagundo, José Alexandre S. Crippa et al. 207 citations
A systematic review of neuroimaging studies published up to January 2009 assessed evidence for cannabis effects on brain structure and function. Among 41 included studies, functional imaging indicated that resting global and prefrontal blood flow are lower in cannabis users than in controls. Activation studies during cognitive tasks produced inconsistent results. Acute administration of THC or marijuana increased resting activity and activation of the frontal and anterior cingulate cortex during cognitive tasks. Only three of eight structural imaging studies found differences between users and controls, providing minimal evidence of major effects of cannabis on brain structure.