• Slimming Products
    • Fatfix
    • Slimberry
    • Piperine Forte
    • Slimjoy
    • Slimy Liquid
    • Revolyn Keto Burn
    • Keto Tropfen
    • Reduslim
    • Vitalrin
    • Ultra Rev
    • Keto Guru
    • Purosalin
    • Slim XR
    • Vanefist Neo
    • Herzolex Ultra
    • Sliminazer
    • Idealica
    • Black Latte
    • GC Rocket
    • Formoline L112
    • Panaslim
    • Refigura
    • Slimymed
  • Painkiller
    • Jointfuel360
    • Hondrostrong
    • Arthrolon
    • Flexa Plus Optima
    • Sustafix
    • Flexumgel
  • Reviews
    • Testonyl
    • Parazitol
    • Detonic
    • Sarahs Blessing
    • Recardio
    • Cardiline
    • Mindinsole
    • Detoxic
    • Nuubu
    • Viscerex
    • Nutresin
    • Rezilin
  • Guides
  • Potency Funds
    • Maral Gel
    • Eroxel
    • Maxatin
    • Urotrin
    • Viarax
    • Viraxol
    • Erogen X
    • Collosel
    • Potencialex
  • Beauty
    • Veona
    • Varicofix
    • Vibrosculpt
    • Varikosette
  • Foot Care
    • Onycosolve
    • Fungonis Gel
    • Micinorm
  • Home
  • Uncategorized
  • How Marijuana May Drive the Brain into Psychosis
  • 21. October 2020
  • 0 comments
  • Maria Bauer
  • Uncategorized

How Marijuana May Drive the Brain into Psychosis

Two ingredients in marijuana have opposite effects on certain regions of the brain, according to a new study.

One chemical, called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), increases the brain processes that can lead to symptoms of psychosis, while another compound, called cannabidiol, may negate such symptoms, according to the study.

Moreover, the findings are the first to use images of the brain to demonstrate that the reason symptoms of psychosis arise in marijuana users may be because THC interferes with the brain’s ability to distinguish between stimuli that are important, and those that aren’t, according to the study.

The results are detailed today (Jan. 2) in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Marijuana and the brain

Previous research has found that THC can induce symptoms of psychosis in healthy people and worsen psychotic symptoms in people already experiencing them. Long-term cannabis use is also associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia, according to the study.

In terms of brain processing, psychotic symptoms have been linked to what researchers call abnormal “salience attribution,” meaning that the brain has difficulty telling the difference between stimuli that are important, and those that aren’t, according to the study.

The study, led by Dr. Sagnik Bhattacharyya, a psychopharmacologist at King’s College in London, included 15 health men who had occasionally used marijuana in the past. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans to observe the men’s brains after they took pills containing THC, cannabidiol or a placebo.

While inside the fMRI scanner, the men performed a computer task designed to measure their abilities to respond to a certain stimulus that was different from others. The images showed changes in the areas of the brain that are believed to be linked to symptoms of psychosis, according to the study.

The results showed that THC “significantly increased the severity of psychotic symptoms compared with placebo,” according to the study. By contrast, there was no difference in psychotic symptoms seen between taking cannabidiol and a placebo.

The psychotic brain

The study showed that men taking THC had increased activity in the brain region called the prefrontal cortex, but lower activity in the region called the striatum. It is possible that these changes happened because THC alters the brain’s levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, according to the study.

“Altered prefrontal-striatal interactions are thought to be critical in the pathophysiologic characteristics of psychosis,” the authors wrote in their conclusion. This is consistent with evidence that striatal and lateral prefrontal function are altered during salience processing in patients with psychosis, individuals at ultrahigh risk of psychosis, and persons in a drug-induced psychotic state

On the other hand, the effects that cannabidiol had on the brain suggested it has the opposite effect on psychotic symptoms. In line with other studies, the new results suggest the compound may have potential as an antipsychotic, the authors wrote.

The researchers noted that in brain imaging studies like this one, there is the possibility that a drug influences blood flow through the brain, which is what fMRIs measure, rather than actual activity of a brain region.

Pass it on: The compound THC in marijuana may increase symptoms of psychosis, while another compound called cannabidiol may decrease those symptoms.

Follow MyHealthNewsDaily on Twitter @MyHealth_MHND. Find us on Facebook.

  • Hypersex to Hoarding: 7 New Psychological Disorders
  • 11 Interesting Effects of Oxytocin
  • 6 Foods That Are Good for Your Brain
Maria-Cakehealth
Maria Bauer

Maria is our expert for medicine, fitness and general health. Her contributions are particularly convincing through completeness, accuracy and her own personal experience. Maria also writes for other health magazines, which has enabled her to build up her expert status.

Leave Comment

or cancel reply

Suche
Beliebte Beiträge
  • 7 Ways Alcohol Affects Your Health
    • 18. February 2021
    • 0
  • For Women, Sex May Be Improved by ‘Mindfulness Meditation’
    • 18. February 2021
    • 0
  • Autistic Brain Excels at Recognizing Patterns
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Swine Flu May Cause Baldness
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Dogs’ Contagious Cancer Cells May Survive By Theft
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Are You Sitting Down? If You’re a College Senior, Probably
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • New Test May Screen Donated Blood for Fatal Disease-Causing Proteins
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Exercise Can’t Undo the Damage of Too Much Screen Time
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Melanoma Drug Shrinks Tumors, Study Finds
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Co-Conspirator Cells Contribute to Skin Cancer
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • YouTube May Help Elderly Dementia Patients
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Brain Functioning Decline Higher in Southern ‘Stroke Belt’
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • 8 Tips for Healthy Aging
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Alzheimer’s Vs. Normal Aging: How to Tell the Difference
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Soy Compounds May Cut Risk of Some Breast Cancers
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Estrogen May Curb Breast Cancer As Well As Promote It
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Flu Season Worse Than Usual
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Most Young Flu Victims Had Not Been Vaccinated, Fatality Report Says
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Indoor Tanners Use Beds Despite Boosting Skin Cancer Risk
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Gene Therapy May Ease Tremors in Parkinson’s Patients
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Alzheimer’s Often Misdiagnosed Until Later On
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • In Trauma Patients, Steroids May Reduce Pneumonia Risk
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Will USDA’s New ‘Plate’ Icon Make a Difference in American Diets?
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Can Changing Your Diet Decrease Your Risk of Alzheimer’s?
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Preventive Measures Against Alzheimer’s Still Uncertain, Report Finds
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Exercise During Pregnancy Benefits Baby’s Heart
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Hypertension Death Rate Drops, But Fatalities Still High
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • More Years of Schooling Have Healthful Effect on Blood Pressure
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Heavy Beer Drinkers Increase Their Gastric Cancer Risk
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Weight Gain: How Food Actually Puts on Pounds
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Want a Smaller Waist? Take More Breaks From Sitting
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • New Rules on Vitamin D and Calcium: Most People Get Enough
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • For Melanoma Patients, Arthritis Drug Could Treat Disease
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Brain Overgrowth in Tots Is Linked to Autism
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Airborne Mad Cow Disease Possible, But Unlikely
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Most High School Kids Don’t Get Enough Exercise, CDC Reports
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Is the 17 Day Diet Just Another Weight-Loss Gimmick?
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Lead Exposure May Delay Puberty in Girls
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • The Healthy Geezer: Does Mercury Cause Cancer?
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • 11% of Infants Born Preterm Worldwide
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Severe Morning Sickness Linked to Preterm Births
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • More Money and No Dad Could Mean Early Puberty in Girls
    • 9. February 2021
    • 0
  • Too Little or Too Much Sleep May Raise Heart, Stroke Risks
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0
  • Relapse Common for Teens Who Overcome Depression
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0
  • Repeated Miscarriages May Increase Women’s Heart Attack Risk
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0
  • Earlier Detection of Dangerous Ectopic Pregnancies Possible with New Marker
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0
  • It’s in the Blood: New Hope for Detecting Schizophrenia
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0
  • Alcohol Abuse May Lead to Marriage Postponement, Separation
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0
  • Marriage Trouble Could Mean Poor Sleep for Baby
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0
  • Weight-Loss Surgery May Improve Memory
    • 8. February 2021
    • 0

Copyright © 2020 by cakehealth.com

Impressum|Data Protection | Sitemap EN|Sitemap DE