Navigation Links
Chronic Pot Smoking Affects Brain Chemistry, Scans Show
Date:6/7/2011

TUESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Imaging scans show that chronic daily use of marijuana can have a detrimental effect on the brain, according to a new report.

In the study, researchers revealed that chronic use of the drug caused a decrease in the number of receptors involved in a wide array of important mental and bodily functions, including concentration, movement coordination, pleasure, pain tolerance, memory and appetite.

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is abused more than any other illegal drug in America, according to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse. When smoked or ingested, the drug's psychoactive chemical binds to numerous cannabinoid receptors in the brain and throughout the body, which influence a range of mental states and actions. One of two known types of cannabinoid receptors, called CB1, is involved primarily in the central nervous system.

In conducting the study, researchers compared the brains of 30 chronic daily marijuana smokers to non-smokers over the course of roughly four weeks. Using molecular imaging, researchers were able to visualize changes in the participants' brains and found the cannabinoid CB1 receptors of the smokers had decreased by roughly 20 percent compared to the otherwise healthy people with limited lifetime exposure to marijuana.

"With this study, we were able to show for the first time that people who abuse cannabis have abnormalities of the cannabinoid receptors in the brain," lead author Dr. Jussi Hirvonen said in a Society of Nuclear Medicine news release.

The researchers re-scanned 14 of the smokers after one month of abstinence and found a notable increase in receptor activity in areas that were deficient at the beginning of the study. These findings, the investigators concluded, suggest the adverse effects of chronic marijuana use are reversible.

"This information may prove critical for the development of novel treatments for cannabis abus
'/>"/>

Copyright©2010 ScoutNews,LLC.
All rights reserved  

Page: 1 2

Related medicine news :

1. Young patients with chronic illnesses find relief in acupuncture
2. Exposure to 9/11 Fumes Tied to Chronic Headaches
3. One in Two Children Has Chronic Health Issues
4. Chronic Migraines Take a Greater Toll
5. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Virus Link Questioned
6. Study Suggests Low-Consuming Medicare Beneficiaries With Chronic Disease Are More Costly to Program
7. Chronic Back Pain Soothed by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
8. Virus Unlikely to Cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
9. New Study: Improved Immune System with Gene-Eden, a Natural Antiviral Supplement that Targets Chronic Viruses
10. National Study Reports Staggering Spending Increases Among Seniors With Chronic Conditions Through Original Medicare - Special Needs Plan Program Offers Solution For Those In Texas
11. M. D. Anderson develops tool to measure severity of chronic graft-vs.-host disease symptoms
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
Related Image:
Chronic Pot Smoking Affects Brain Chemistry, Scans Show
(Date:5/24/2013)... New York, New York (PRWEB) May 24, 2013 ... da Vinci lawsuit involving Intuitive Surgical Inc.’s da ... According to court records, a Washington State Court ... not committed negligence in training a surgeon who performed ... several years later. The patient’s family had alleged ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... Dwell Media LLC announces ... Executive Vice President of Digital for Dwell Media. At ... a large portion of Yahoo's global media business. At ... a fully-integrated commerce unit to launch in 2014. Huff ... content for leading firms in Silicon Valley. Dwell, which ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... (HealthDay News) -- People with high levels of cadmium ... of liver disease than those with lower levels, a ... in urine is evidence of long-term exposure to the ... tobacco smoke, the Johns Hopkins researchers explained. They ... directly causes liver disease but instead suggest an association ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... According to the National Institutes of Health, Stevens Johnson Syndrome ... affects the skin and mucous membranes. SJS occurs most ... 30 (i). In the early stages SJS presents flu-like ... advances, it affects the mucous membranes such as the eyes, ... the eye causes conjunctivitis (pink eye). Inflammation of the ...
(Date:5/24/2013)... 24, 2013 American Career College (ACC), ... proudly participated in festivities surrounding the 2013 Toyota Grand ... provided the perfect backdrop to introduce the community to ... 3rd Street, housed in an architectural gem known to ... was an active exhibitor throughout the weekend festivities. The ...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:Da Vinci Robot Lawsuit News: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Comments on Verdict in Nation’s First Trial Involving Alleged Da Vinci Complications 2Health News:Da Vinci Robot Lawsuit News: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Comments on Verdict in Nation’s First Trial Involving Alleged Da Vinci Complications 3Health News:Yahoo Commerce Head Joins Leadership at Dwell Media 2Health News:High Cadmium Levels May Raise Risk for Dying From Liver Disease: Study 2Health News:Personal Injury Law Firm Issues New Infographic Detailing a Potential Link Between Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Common Children’s Medicines 2Health News:Personal Injury Law Firm Issues New Infographic Detailing a Potential Link Between Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Common Children’s Medicines 3Health News:American Career College Revs Up Community Support During Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach 2
... Wai Kan and his team from University of California, ... responsible for causing sickle cell anemia // in bioengineered ... replacement of defective genes, after therapy it was found ... The researchers have published their work in the Journal ...
... Department of Health and Human Services reported that very little ... of the illness (bird flu) // . The infection in ... avian influenza. ,Hence to prevent the global pandemic ... of an occurrence of a global pandemic. The government ...
... Fay Guarraci, an assistance professor of psychology at south-western university ... caffeine has a greater effect on the sexual behaviour of ... kinds and is among the first to determine the effects ... It also probes into the relationship between caffeine and sex. ...
... Health Minister Tony Abbott told the press that all the medical ... consulted qualified health care // personnels. ,This plan ... areas. But in a period of six months this plan will ... ,This plan will help in reducing the amount of expenditure of ...
... lives ever year. The need the organ, kidney is on the ... ,Of all the organ transplantations done, kidney transplantation accounts for ... fall in the number of people who come forward to donate ... the patients to undergo kidney transplants has widened to more than ...
... unique way to help people beat the winter blues-by setting up ... . ,The Dana Cafe offers free 20-minute light treatments ... to 500,000 people, a majority of them women, are believed to ... common in the northern latitudes where the Sun is not seen ...
Cached Medicine News:
(Date:5/23/2013)...  MGC Diagnostics Corporation (NASDAQ: MGCD ) ... scheduled a conference call to discuss its financial results ... April 30, 2013. The call will be at 4:30 ... will report financial results for the second quarter of ... May 30, 2013. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120821/LA60189LOGO ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013 More than ... may not benefit from chemotherapy and still have excellent ... launch of one of the largest sources of online ... website and interactive Facebook page provide recently diagnosed women ... can safely avoid chemotherapy. "We anticipate these ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... , May 23, 2013  Texas, premier physician ... deliver doctors the survival tools they need to provide ... in today,s health care marketplace. "I am ... save local practices," said Stephen L. Brotherton ... (TMA). " Texas doctors are determined ...
Breaking Medicine Technology:MGC Diagnostics Corporation to Report Second Quarter Fiscal 2013 Financial Results on Thursday, May 30, 2013 2Agendia Launches Social Media Campaigns to Help Breast Cancer Patients with Chemotherapy Decisions 2Agendia Launches Social Media Campaigns to Help Breast Cancer Patients with Chemotherapy Decisions 3TMA Launches Physician Services Organization for Patient Care 2TMA Launches Physician Services Organization for Patient Care 3TMA Launches Physician Services Organization for Patient Care 4
... Adam B. Smith, D.O., FACOS, of Fort Worth LAP-BAND(R) ... metroplex chosen by Allergan Medical for "A Research Study ... the Weight Management of Obese Subjects," a clinical trial ... inflatable balloon inserted into the stomach, in conjunction with ...
... associations in 10 states have been selected to ... reducing central-line associated blood stream infections in hospital ... for Healthcare Research and Quality.The states are California, ... Texas, and Washington. In addition, the California Hospital ...
Cached Medicine Technology:Fort Worth Surgeon Chosen as Investigator in Clinical Trial for Weight-Loss Device 210-State Project to Study Methods to Reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Hospital ICUs 210-State Project to Study Methods to Reduce Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Hospital ICUs 3
A kit will amplify and hybridize 100 samples. Kit components include: Primers, PCR Buffer, dNTPS, Taq Polymerase, Hybridization Solution, Quick-Light™ Buffer, 20 X SSC Concentrate, Lumi-Phos&re...
Lyophilized, tri-level assayed human serum-based control, Low, intermediate and high levels, Lot-specific target values provided, Suitable for use with RIA, EIA and chemiluminescent,methodo...
... Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a glycoprotein ... gland. Like hCG, LH and TSH, ... noncovalently-linked dimer consisting of alpha- and ... stimulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from ...
... Our Class II Direct to High Res SSP ... with a single tray. Locus specific typing on a ... time. , Straight from genomic DNA to high ... , Allele level typing with a single tray , ...
Medicine Products: