Alteration of Dopaminergic Neurocircuit Pathways: Cannabis Addiction in Adolescents Janelle Bachman

Overview

Scientific Caribbean Foundation (SCF) Cannabis addiction is described as a chronically relapsing disorder marked by compulsive drug seeking and intake, loss of control in limiting intake, and the emergence of a negative emotional state when access to the drug is prevented. Repetitive cannabis intake may lead to long-term effects such as cardiac, digestive, and pulmonary conditions. In addition to physical problems, a growing number of studies indicate that marijuana exposure during development can possibly cause permanent adverse changes in the brain. Such exposure mainly stimulates the reward system, where neurocircuits found in dopaminergic areas such as the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex become dangerously imbalanced. These imbalances can lead to other psychiatric disorders related to compulsive and impulsive behaviors especially if the patient began using cannabis at an early age. Furthermore, we used the program SIMBRAIN to build, run and analyze a visual representation of the neurocircuits found in the dopamine pathways. This simulation consists of neurocircuits found in dopaminergic pathways of a young cannabis addict and a non-addicted adolescent where we observed the differences in both neurocircuits. Additionally, the results were analyzed by plots in way of a time series that reflected differences in the fluctuation of electrophysiological charges. As a result, our graphs indicate that the electrophysiological charges in an addicted teen remain static, while the control subject experienced expected depolarization. Moreover, the dopamine levels found in the reward pathways of a cannabis addict are lower compared to a non-addict. These alterations in the neurocircuitry of a cannabis addicted adolescent negatively stimulate the reward system.