Evidence That Cannabis Exposure, Abuse, and Dependence Are Related to Glutamate Metabolism and Glial Function in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex: A 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study
Frontiers in Psychiatry August 20, 2020 Jeremy J. Watts, Ranjini Garani Ramesh, Tânia Maria Sarmento Silva et al. 21 citations
Long-term cannabis users (26 participants) and non-using controls (47 participants) underwent brain scans measuring chemicals in the anterior cingulate cortex. Markers of glial function and glutamate metabolism did not differ between groups overall. However, lower myo-inositol, a glial marker, was linked to more problematic drug use and greater cannabis dependence severity. Past-year cannabis exposure affected glutamate metabolites differently by sex: greater exposure was associated with higher glutamate levels in male users but not in female users. These findings suggest that cannabis use may alter brain chemistry in ways related to problematic use and that sex differences exist in these effects.