Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic review
RationaleCannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances globally. Cannabis use can be associated with alterations of reward processing, including affective flattening, apathy, anhedonia, and lower sensitivity to natural rewards in conjunction with higher sensitivity to cannabis-rela...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1323609/full |
| _version_ | 1797323122105384960 |
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| author | Emillie Beyer Govinda Poudel Govinda Poudel Stephanie Antonopoulos Hannah Thomson Valentina Lorenzetti |
| author_facet | Emillie Beyer Govinda Poudel Govinda Poudel Stephanie Antonopoulos Hannah Thomson Valentina Lorenzetti |
| author_sort | Emillie Beyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | RationaleCannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances globally. Cannabis use can be associated with alterations of reward processing, including affective flattening, apathy, anhedonia, and lower sensitivity to natural rewards in conjunction with higher sensitivity to cannabis-related rewards. Such alterations have been posited to be driven by changes in underlying brain reward pathways, as per prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction. Functional neuroimaging (fMRI) studies have examined brain reward function in cannabis users via the monetary incentive delay (MID) fMRI task; however, this evidence is yet to be systematically synthesised.ObjectivesWe aimed to systematically integrate the evidence on brain reward function in cannabis users examined by the MID fMRI task; and in relation to metrics of cannabis exposure (e.g., dosage, frequency) and other behavioural variables.MethodWe pre-registered the review in PROSPERO and reported it using PRISMA guidelines. Literature searches were conducted in PsycINFO, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, and Scopus.ResultsNine studies were included, comprising 534 people with mean ages 16-to-28 years, of which 255 were people who use cannabis daily or almost daily, and 279 were controls. The fMRI literature to date led to largely non-significant group differences. A few studies reported group differences in the ventral striatum while participants anticipated rewards and losses; and in the caudate while participants received neutral outcomes. A few studies examined correlations between brain function and withdrawal, dosage, and age of onset; and reported inconsistent findings.ConclusionsThere is emerging but inconsistent evidence of altered brain reward function in cannabis users examined with the MID fMRI task. Future fMRI studies are required to confirm if the brain reward system is altered in vulnerable cannabis users who experience a Cannabis Use Disorder, as postulated by prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:24:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9bea2f17cbe043ac8c1df7ce204b0baa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:24:08Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-9bea2f17cbe043ac8c1df7ce204b0baa2024-02-06T12:41:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532024-02-011710.3389/fnbeh.2023.13236091323609Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic reviewEmillie Beyer0Govinda Poudel1Govinda Poudel2Stephanie Antonopoulos3Hannah Thomson4Valentina Lorenzetti5Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaMary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaBraincast Neurotechnologies, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaTurner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, AustraliaNeuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaNeuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaRationaleCannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances globally. Cannabis use can be associated with alterations of reward processing, including affective flattening, apathy, anhedonia, and lower sensitivity to natural rewards in conjunction with higher sensitivity to cannabis-related rewards. Such alterations have been posited to be driven by changes in underlying brain reward pathways, as per prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction. Functional neuroimaging (fMRI) studies have examined brain reward function in cannabis users via the monetary incentive delay (MID) fMRI task; however, this evidence is yet to be systematically synthesised.ObjectivesWe aimed to systematically integrate the evidence on brain reward function in cannabis users examined by the MID fMRI task; and in relation to metrics of cannabis exposure (e.g., dosage, frequency) and other behavioural variables.MethodWe pre-registered the review in PROSPERO and reported it using PRISMA guidelines. Literature searches were conducted in PsycINFO, PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, and Scopus.ResultsNine studies were included, comprising 534 people with mean ages 16-to-28 years, of which 255 were people who use cannabis daily or almost daily, and 279 were controls. The fMRI literature to date led to largely non-significant group differences. A few studies reported group differences in the ventral striatum while participants anticipated rewards and losses; and in the caudate while participants received neutral outcomes. A few studies examined correlations between brain function and withdrawal, dosage, and age of onset; and reported inconsistent findings.ConclusionsThere is emerging but inconsistent evidence of altered brain reward function in cannabis users examined with the MID fMRI task. Future fMRI studies are required to confirm if the brain reward system is altered in vulnerable cannabis users who experience a Cannabis Use Disorder, as postulated by prominent neuroscientific theories of addiction.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1323609/fullcannabismonetary incentive delay task (MIDT)reward processingfMRIneuroimagingsystematic review |
| spellingShingle | Emillie Beyer Govinda Poudel Govinda Poudel Stephanie Antonopoulos Hannah Thomson Valentina Lorenzetti Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic review Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience cannabis monetary incentive delay task (MIDT) reward processing fMRI neuroimaging systematic review |
| title | Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic review |
| title_full | Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic review |
| title_short | Brain reward function in people who use cannabis: a systematic review |
| title_sort | brain reward function in people who use cannabis a systematic review |
| topic | cannabis monetary incentive delay task (MIDT) reward processing fMRI neuroimaging systematic review |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1323609/full |
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