Adolescent synthetic cannabinoid users showed reduced cortical thickness in frontal brain regions, and those with comorbid ADHD showed even more widespread thinning plus different subcortical volume patterns.
Child and adolescent psychiatrists, ADHD researchers, and neuroscientists studying synthetic cannabinoid effects.
ADHD worsens brain effects
What the researchers found
SC users with and without ADHD had reduced cortical thickness in left caudal middle frontal and left superior frontal areas compared to controls. SC users with ADHD also showed reduced thickness in right precentral and postcentral gyri. SC users without ADHD had increased right nucleus accumbens volume, which was not seen in SC+ADHD users.
Why it matters
ADHD is overrepresented among adolescent substance users. This study shows that comorbid ADHD and synthetic cannabinoid use produce a different pattern of brain changes than either condition alone, suggesting additive or interactive effects.
The numbers in context
28 SC users (15 without ADHD, 13 with ADHD), 13 controls. Reduced cortical thickness: left caudal middle frontal and superior frontal (both SC groups). Additional right precentral/postcentral thinning (ADHD group only). Increased right nucleus accumbens (SC without ADHD only).
How the study worked
Structural MRI comparing 28 SC users (15 without ADHD, 13 with ADHD combined type) and 13 controls. Examined cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volumes.
What this study cannot tell us
Very small sample sizes limit generalizability. Cross-sectional design. Specific SC compounds unknown. Cannot determine whether brain changes preceded or followed SC use. No matching for other substance use.
How to read the evidence
Rated preliminary because of very small sample sizes, though the finding of ADHD-specific patterns is novel.
When this study was published
Published in 2019.
The bigger picture
Synthetic cannabinoids are particularly popular among adolescents, and ADHD adolescents are particularly vulnerable to substance use. Understanding how these factors interact at the brain level could inform targeted interventions for this high-risk population.
Questions still open
- Does ADHD medication modify the brain effects of SC use? Would these cortical changes reverse with abstinence? Is the nucleus accumbens enlargement in non-ADHD SC users related to reward processing changes?
Common questions
Do synthetic cannabinoids affect the teenage brain?
Does ADHD make it worse?
Read the original research
Cortical Thickness and Subcortical Volumes in Adolescent Synthetic Cannabinoid Users with or Without ADHD: a Preliminary Study.
Noro psikiyatri arsivi, 56(3), 167-172
Citation
Çolak, Çiğdem; Çelik, Zehra Çakmak; Zorlu, Nabi; Kitiı, Ömer; Yüncü, Zeki. (2019). Cortical Thickness and Subcortical Volumes in Adolescent Synthetic Cannabinoid Users with or Without ADHD: a Preliminary Study.. Noro psikiyatri arsivi, 56(3), 167-172. https://doi.org/10.29399/npa.23495
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