Two techniques that are frequently utilized to examine how cannabis affects brain structure and function are network analysis and morphometry. Understanding changes in the thickness or volume of brain tissues is possible through morphometry study. Prior studies did not discover any morphological changes in the brains of those who used cannabis heavily, but more recent data refutes this conclusion. According to recent research, cannabis use causes lateral, hippocampal, and parahippocampal atrophy.
Alterations in relationships between brain areas as well as local changes in brain morphology may contribute to changes in brain structure and function. As a result, numerous research created brain modeling as a network to comprehend the causes of the modifications in brain structure and function brought on by chronic cannabis use.
The bulk of extensive investigations on brain networks have produced contradictory results regarding how cannabis use alters the anatomical and functional connectivity of the brain. A prior study looked at how long-term cannabis usage affected axonal connectivity and discovered that the fornix, commissural fibers, and splenium of the corpus callosum had poor structural connectivity. In habitual cannabis users, a higher structural fractional anisotropy was seen.
Cannabis users had improved local functional connectivity in the midbrain, ventral striatum, brainstem, and lateral thalamus, according to an analysis of resting-state functional connectivity. The functional connectivity of the total brain between healthy controls and cannabis users did not differ significantly, according to a seed-based connectivity analysis. Additionally, a graph theoretical analysis revealed no distinction between non-cannabis and cannabis in the regional and global features of resting-state functional networks.
