Heavy marijuana use damages adolescent brains-study

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29343228.htm

CHICAGO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Adolescents who regularly smoke marijuana risk damaging a key brain pathway associated with language development and some predisposed to schizophrenia may contract the illness early, researchers said on Wednesday.

Brain scans revealed microscopic abnormalities in a region of the brain that governs higher aspects of language and listening functions in adolescents who are heavy marijuana smokers.

Similar damage to the bundle of fibers, called the arcuate fasciculus, that connect the Broca's area in the left frontal lobe and the Wernicke's area in the left temporal lobe was found in the brains of marijuana smokers and schizophrenics studied.

"These findings suggest that in addition to interfering with normal brain development, heavy marijuana use in adolescents may also lead to an earlier onset of schizophrenia in individuals who are genetically predisposed to the disorder," said psychiatry professor Sanjiv Kumra of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

I am pretty liberal but I don't think anyone is going to convince me that smoking BC bud is a good thing for kids during their forming years.

[MercutioATC]

1. Got Nomex?

:popcorn:

[NNN0LHI]

3. Bring 'em on! n/t

[MercutioATC]

7. Why do you hate America?

:silly:

[DS1]

5. Eh, Nomex just melts to your skin anyway

Flame nekkid!

[marbuc]

2. What?

[CatWoman]

so

that's why I'm so stoopid :silly:

[tridim]

4. Marijuana may block Alzheimer's

The active ingredient in marijuana may stall decline from Alzheimer's disease, research suggests.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4286435.stm

In other words, it does exactly the opposite of "killing brain cells" in the adult brain. So I guess it should be illegal for everyone because some adolescents choose to abuse it.

[tigereye]

6. dunno if this is really a surprise....

it is interesting, though.

[SteppingRazor]

8. Couple questions are unanswered, though --

What do they mean by "regularly smoke marijuana"? What's regular?

What is the result of "microscopic abnormalities"? They say there are "microscopic abnormalities in a region of the brain that governs higher aspects of language and listening functions in adolescents who are heavy marijuana smokers," but then they don't say that these abnormalities result in any loss of language or listening function.

What is "heavy marijuana use"? Is it the same as "regularly" smoking marijuana?

[NNN0LHI]

12. Don't have a clue what regular or the microscopic abnormalities constitute

I just say I don't believe it is good for kids to be smoking dope during their forming years. I didn't let my kids be around gasoline as they were growing up either.

Don

[leftofthedial]

9. I don't believe the psychiatry professor was involved in the study

and the article does not provide a source for the study

[MN ChimpH8R]

10. It messed me up so much that

I graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from college and got into an Ivy League law school (true). :silly::crazy:

[SmokingJacket]

11. I would guess alcohol is way more damaging. nt

[K-W]

17. Almost always a safe bet. EOM

[K-W]

13. There isnt too much to this story.

Theyve observed what appears to be neural damage, something that certainly shouldnt be taken lightly, but they havent established what the effects of that damage may be nor have they established whether the effects are permanant.

As far as Schizophrenia, this is not the first indication that MJ can interact with Schizophrenia and without a doubt people at risk for Schizophrenia should be extremely cautious with MJ.

I wish I could greet research about Marijuana with scientific curiousity and not cynicism, but you just know this will get tossed on the list of excuses for the war on drug users.

[Greyhound]

20. There are no details because this is another bogus pseudo-study

bought and paid for by partisans.

[Ravenseye]

14. Big Shock

Heck I don't even think adolescents should drink coffee...

There's a time and a place for coffee, cigarettes, marijuana, and alchohol...it's called your Senior Prom.

[Swamp Rat]

15. They must be EXTREMELY HEAVY smokers, toking a bale or two per day.

I know someone who speaks a few languages fluently, and I has been a...



:D

[Greyhound]

16. For the 1000th time, correlation is not causation. Additionally there are

no details in the article about who funded the study, how it was conducted, what the 'neurotoxins' in marijuana are, or even who the un-named researchers are (the named scientist had nothing to do with the study and was commenting on the implications for schizophrenic patients only). This smacks of yet another propaganda piece. :eyes:

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Nope not buying it

Especially that part about schizophrenia. That is a crock.

No I don't think kids should spend all day smoking BC bud. But I also don't think it causes earlier onset of schizophrenia. If they are going to get it, they get it. And there is a range of onset. So it would be pretty hard to pinpoint which kids got it earlier because they smoked pot and which kids got it earlier just because they got it earlier.

[LeftHander]

19. And millions of teens on Prozac and Zoloft are at no risk...

These are safe and effective...and bring in millions and millions of dollars. Get this pot smoking kids on these....

Much better for America....

sarcasm

[bemildred]

21. Well, I agree kids were better not to be smoking pot,

or smoking it a lot, or smoking strong stuff.

That said, this is pretty nebulous stuff they found here in this "study".

It does not surprise me at all that they have linked pot to schizophrenia though, I think the brain mechanisms are somewhat similar, in that both meddle with the links between the forebrain and the limbic system.

OTOH I know of people with mental issues that self-medicate with pot, and tobacco, so that notion that pot increases the risk of a schizophrenic episode would require proof to convince me.

[punpirate]

22. I'd be interested to know if they can isolate...

... the neurotoxin. Depending upon the ages in the sample, that neurotoxin could be paraquat....

[Presidentcokedupfratboy]

23. Well, that explains it....

There must have been a lot of Red-State idiots smoking dope before they could vote.....

[Loonman]

24. Fairly self evident

Of course any substance like that can damage growing bodies and minds with heavy use.

There's a time and a place for everything. It's called college.

[bananas]

25. link with more info

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-30-2005/0004225210&EDATE=

Imaging Shows Similarities in Brains of Marijuana Smokers, Schizophrenics


CHICAGO, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Heavy use of marijuana may put
adolescents who are genetically predisposed to schizophrenia at greater risk
of developing the brain disorder, according to research presented today at the
annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Using a sophisticated brain imaging technique called diffusion tensor
imaging (DTI), researchers at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York,
studied the brains of groups of adolescents: healthy, non-drug users; heavy
marijuana smokers (daily use for at least one year); and schizophrenic
patients. Unlike magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which provides a static
picture of brain structures, DTI detects and measures the motion of water
molecules in the brain, which can reveal microscopic abnormalities.

Manzar Ashtari, Ph.D., Sanjiv Kumra, M.D., and colleagues used DTI to
examine the arcuate fasciculus, a bundle of fibers connecting the Broca's area
in the left frontal lobe and the Wernicke's area in the left temporal lobe of
the brain. The investigators found that repeated exposure to marijuana was
related to abnormalities in the development of this fiber pathway, which is
associated with the higher aspects of language and auditory functions.

<snip>

In the study, DTI was performed on 12 healthy, early adolescent males
compared with 12 late adolescent males to show normal human brain development;
11 schizophrenic patients compared with 17 matched controls; 15 schizophrenic
patients who smoke marijuana compared with 17 matched controls; and 15
marijuana smokers compared with 15 matched non-drug users. The scans revealed
no abnormal developmental changes in the language pathway in the healthy
adolescents, but showed abnormalities in both the marijuana users and
schizophrenic patients.

<snip>

Co-authors are Jinghui Wu, B.S., Kelly Cervellione, M.A., John Kane, M.D.,
Philip Szeszko, Ph.D., and Babak Ardekani, Ph.D.

<snip>

SOURCE Radiological Society of North America
Web Site: http://www.rsna.org