278. Barrington Health: Does Marijuana Change the Brain?

Home Newsroom 278. Barrington Health: Does Marijuana Change the Brain?

Marijuana doesn’t seem to shrink brains, but the results of a new study suggest the brains of people who use marijuana may be smaller than those who don’t.

Post - Marijuana Brain Research

Researchers found that marijuana users had some shrinkage in two brain regions called the amygdala and the right ventral striatum, but when they compared marijuana users’ brains to their siblings, the differences disappeared. As a result, researchers believe it’s possible that people who choose to use marijuana may already have the smaller regions in those parts of the brain.

In the study, the brains of 282 twins or siblings between the ages of 25 to 35 years old were analyzed to better understand whether cannabis use was associated with brain volumes. Study leaders included two separate groups of siblings – one who used marijuana and the other who did not – and tried to figure out whether brain differences might be genetic instead of being linked to marijuana use.

Dr. Chandragupta Vedak, a psychiatrist at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, provides a different perspective to the theory.

“The endocannabinoid system [a group of lipids and their receptors in the brain] play an important role in the formation of synapses [the connections between neurons], says Dr. Vedak. “This perhaps explains why marijuana may have the strongest long-term impact on young users whose brains are still building new connections and maturing in other ways.”

There still needs to be some conclusive work on marijuana and its effect on the brain, researchers said. Future examination may provide help for substance abuse policy and prevention programs.

* This article was originally posted here on Advocate Health Care’s heatlh enews site.


About the Author

Lisa O'NeilLisa O’Neil serves as director of public affairs and marketing at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington.

CLICK HERE to read the latest articles Lisa has written for Advocate Health’s Enews platform at ahchealthenews.com.

Lisa is also contributes to our Barrington Health series at 365Barrington.com focused on advice from area physicians, the latest medical news and trends toward better health in and around Barrington, Illinois.

There are no comments yet.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

365Barrington Partners

From the Community

“As part of NAMI’s partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group during March, “Sinclair Cares: Mental Health Support + Hope,” nearly 100 TV stations nationwide will broadcast a Town Hall this Saturday and Sunday, featuring NAMI Chief Medical Officer Ken Duckworth, M.D.

You can watch this very special event by searching for airdates on those select local stations. (Many stations also plan to stream the broadcast via YouTube on Monday, March 27.)

Tune in to learn about mental health warning signs, as well as how to get help for yourself or a loved one at one of our hundreds of NAMI affiliates across the country.”

Read more or register for a free weekly online support group at the link in our bio.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthsupport #togetherformh #notalone #lakecountyil #lakecountyillinois #lakezurichil #waucondail #islandlakeillinois #buffalogrove #hoffmanestates #northbarrington #southbarrington #barringtonhills #lakebarrington #towerlakes #palatineil #barringtonil #barringtonillinois #bsd220 #dodundee #365barrington #barringtonscoop #barringtonforward #enjoybarrington #arlingtonheightsil #wheelingillinois #namibarrington #carpentersvilleil #buffalogroveillinois
...

2 2

Newsletter

365Barrington Sponsors

Featured Events

Related Posts