Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to blunted brain reward response and psychotic-like experiences in youth
Children exposed to cannabis before birth showed blunted brain reward responses that were associated with psychotic-like experiences, suggesting altered dopamine-related circuitry as a mechanism linking prenatal exposure to psychosis risk.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) was longitudinally associated with psychotic-like experiences in youth. Blunted neural response to reward anticipation was associated with psychotic-like experiences, with stronger effects in PCE-exposed youth (all |beta|>0.5, FDR-corrected p<0.05).
Key Numbers
652 cannabis-exposed youth out of 11,368 at baseline. Effect sizes |beta|>0.5 for blunted reward response and psychotic-like experiences in PCE youth. Data from 22 sites across the US. Tracked across 4 years.
How They Did This
Longitudinal analysis of the ABCD Study tracking children from age 9-10 across baseline (n=11,368), 2-year (n=7,928), and 4-year (n=2,982) follow-ups. Task-related fMRI measured reward anticipation, and 652 youth had prenatal cannabis exposure.
Why This Research Matters
With rising prenatal cannabis exposure rates alongside legalization, understanding the neurobiological mechanisms linking early exposure to later psychiatric symptoms is critical for informing public health guidance for pregnant women.
The Bigger Picture
The endocannabinoid system plays a key role in dopamine signaling and brain reward circuitry development. Prenatal cannabis exposure may alter this system during critical developmental windows, producing measurable changes in reward processing that persist into adolescence.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Prenatal cannabis exposure was maternally reported and likely underestimated. Cannot fully separate cannabis effects from other prenatal exposures or genetic factors. Attrition reduced sample from 11,368 to 2,982 by 4-year follow-up. Preprint (not yet peer reviewed).
Questions This Raises
- ?Does blunted reward response predict full psychotic disorders or remain at the subclinical level?
- ?Could early intervention targeting reward processing reduce psychosis risk in prenatally exposed youth?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 652 prenatally exposed youth tracked over 4 years
- Evidence Grade:
- Large longitudinal cohort (ABCD Study) with neuroimaging, but observational design, significant attrition, and preprint status.
- Study Age:
- 2024 preprint analyzing ABCD Study longitudinal neuroimaging data
- Original Title:
- Altered neurobehavioral reward response predicts psychotic-like experiences in youth exposed to cannabis prenatally.
- Published In:
- medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences (2024)
- Authors:
- Amir, Carolyn M(3), Ghahremani, Dara G(4), Chang, Sarah E(2), Cooper, Ziva D, Bearden, Carrie E
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05079
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is blunted reward response?
It means reduced brain activation in regions involved in anticipating rewards. This is linked to the dopamine system and has been associated with several psychiatric conditions, including psychosis and depression.
How common was prenatal cannabis exposure in this study?
About 652 out of 11,368 children (roughly 5.7%) had documented prenatal cannabis exposure, based on maternal report.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05079APA
Amir, Carolyn M; Ghahremani, Dara G; Chang, Sarah E; Cooper, Ziva D; Bearden, Carrie E. (2024). Altered neurobehavioral reward response predicts psychotic-like experiences in youth exposed to cannabis prenatally.. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.23.24312453
MLA
Amir, Carolyn M, et al. "Altered neurobehavioral reward response predicts psychotic-like experiences in youth exposed to cannabis prenatally.." medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.23.24312453
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Altered neurobehavioral reward response predicts psychotic-l..." RTHC-05079. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/amir-2024-altered-neurobehavioral-reward-response
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.