Chronic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in adolescent nonhuman primates: persistent abnormalities in economic demand and brain functional connectivity.
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology February 1, 2025 Brian D Kangas, Harshawardhan U Deshpande, Sarah L Withey et al.
Chronic exposure to THC during adolescence in squirrel monkeys produces long-lasting changes in brain functional connectivity and motivation that persist into adulthood. Daily treatment with either a low (0.32 mg/kg) or high dose (3.2 mg/kg) of THC for six months during adolescence led to persistent alterations in connectivity of the medial orbitofrontal cortex, caudate, and ventral striatum. In economic demand tests, THC-treated subjects showed dosage-dependent disruption in reward sensitivity and motivation, unlike vehicle-treated subjects who displayed the expected inverse relationship between reward magnitude and effort. The findings indicate that adolescent THC exposure causes enduring neurocognitive abnormalities in reward processing.