Schizophrenia-prone boys who try pot experience changes in brain development

Boys genetically predisposed to schizophrenia who try cannabis before 16 experience changes in brain development according to a new study, in a finding that could help researchers understand why some people are more vulnerable to the effects of the drug.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, found that the boys developed a thinner cerebral cortex than their peers over time, which could signal that cannabis somehow interferes with the development of that part of the brain. The heaviest cannabis users experienced the most significant changes.

“We have a structural difference in the brain that appears to be there only if you combine cannabis use before 16 and a genetic risk for schizophrenia,” said Tomas Paus, lead author of the study and the Tanenbaum chair in population neuroscience at Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.

Neither boys with a low genetic schizophrenia risk nor girls experienced the same...

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/boys-vulnerable-to-schizophrenia-who-try-pot-experience-changes-in-brain-development-study/article26108002/