Journal article

Attenuated frontal and sensory inputs to the basal ganglia in cannabis users

L Blanco-Hinojo, J Pujol, BJ Harrison, D Macià, A Batalla, S Nogué, M Torrens, M Farré, J Deus, R Martín-Santos

Addiction Biology | WILEY | Published : 2017

Abstract

Heavy cannabis use is associated with reduced motivation. The basal ganglia, central in the motivation system, have the brain's highest cannabinoid receptor density. The frontal lobe is functionally coupled to the basal ganglia via segregated frontal–subcortical circuits conveying information from internal, self-generated activity. The basal ganglia, however, receive additional influence from the sensory system to further modulate purposeful behaviors according to the context. We postulated that cannabis use would impact functional connectivity between the basal ganglia and both internal (frontal cortex) and external (sensory cortices) sources of influence. Resting-state functional connectiv..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported in part with Spanish grants: Plan Nacional sobre Drogas, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, PNSD 2006/101 and PNSD 2011/050 (R. Martin-Santos). The Agency of University and Research Funding Management of the Catalonia Government participated in the context of Research Groups SGR2009/1435 and SGR2014/1135 (R. Martin-Santos) and SGR2014/1673 (J. Deus). Ms. Blanco-Hinojo was supported by the PFIS grant FI10/00387 from the Carlos III Health Institute. Dr. Harrison is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Clinical Career Development Award (I.D. 628509).