Functional activation and effective connectivity differences in adolescent marijuana users performing a simulated gambling task.

ABSTRACT: Background. Adolescent marijuana use is associated with structural and functional differences in forebrain regions while performing memory and attention tasks. In the present study, we investigated neural processing in adolescent marijuana users experiencing rewards and losses. Fourteen adolescents with frequent marijuana use (>5 uses per week) and 14 nonuser controls performed a computer task where they were required to guess the outcome of a simulated coin flip while undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. Results. Across all participants, "Wins" and "Losses" were associated with activations including cingulate, middle frontal, superior frontal, and inferior frontal gyri and declive activations. Relative to controls, users had greater activity in the middle and inferior frontal gyri, caud

SUBMITTER: Acheson A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4321681 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature