Prenatal cannabis exposure, the brain, and psychopathology during early adolescence

Abstract

Prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) is associated with mental health problems in early adolescence, but the possible neurobiological mechanisms remain unknown. In a large longitudinal sample of adolescents (ages 9–12 years, n = 9,322–10,186), we find that PCE is associated with localized differences in gray and white matter of the frontal and parietal cortices, their associated white matter tracts, and striatal resting-state connectivity, even after accounting for potential pregnancy, familial, and child confounds. Variability in forceps minor and pars triangularis diffusion metrics partially longitudinally mediate associations of PCE with attention problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. PCE-related differences in brain development may confer vulnerability to worse mental health in early adolescence. The authors used data from the ABCD Study to examine the effects of prenatal cannabis exposure on neuroimaging metrics and mental health in adolescents.