Cannabis use may lead to thinning of the cerebral cortex in adolescents according to a recent study led by Graciela Pineyro and Tomas Paus, researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and professors at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Medicine. A collaborative effort between two research laboratories with complementary approaches, the study demonstrates that THC – or tetrahydrocannabinol, an active substance in cannabis – causes shrinkage of the dendritic arborization, neurons' "network of antennae" whose role is critical for communication between neurons. This results in the atrophy of certain regions of the cerebral cortex – bad news at an age when the brain is maturing.
If we take the analogy of the brain as a computer, the neurons would be the central processor, receiving all information via the synapses through the dendritic network. So a decrease in the data input to the central processor by dendrites makes it harder for the brain to learn new things, interact with people, cope with new situations, etc. In other words, it makes the brain more vulnerable to everything that can happen in a young person's life.
" Tomas Paus, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, Université de Montréal A multi-level approach to better understand the effect on humans This project is notable for the complementary, multi-level nature of the methods used. "By analyzing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brains of a cohort of teenagers, we had already shown that young peop.