Cannabis points to the synaptic pathology of mental disorders: How aberrant synaptic components disrupt the highest psychological functions

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cannabis points to the synaptic pathology of mental disorders

T2 - How aberrant synaptic components disrupt the highest psychological functions

AU - Morrison, Paul D.

AU - Murray, Robin M.

PY - 2020/9

Y1 - 2020/9

N2 - Cannabis can elicit an acute psychotic reaction, and its long-term use is a risk factor for schizophrenia. The main active psychoactive ingredient ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) activates cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, which are localized to the terminals of glutamate and GABA neurons in the brain. The endogenous cannabinoids are involved in information processing and plasticity at synapses in the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex. Exogenously applied CB1 receptor agonists disrupt neuronal dynamics and synaptic plasticity, resulting in cognitive deficits and impairment of the highest psychological functions. Various other pro-psychotic drugs, such as ketamine and methamphetamine, exert their effects in the same microdomain of synaptic spines as Δ9-THC. Additionally, many of the most robust findings in psychiatric genetics include components that localize to dendritic spines and have important roles in information processing and plasticity.

AB - Cannabis can elicit an acute psychotic reaction, and its long-term use is a risk factor for schizophrenia. The main active psychoactive ingredient ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) activates cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors, which are localized to the terminals of glutamate and GABA neurons in the brain. The endogenous cannabinoids are involved in information processing and plasticity at synapses in the hippocampus, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex. Exogenously applied CB1 receptor agonists disrupt neuronal dynamics and synaptic plasticity, resulting in cognitive deficits and impairment of the highest psychological functions. Various other pro-psychotic drugs, such as ketamine and methamphetamine, exert their effects in the same microdomain of synaptic spines as Δ9-THC. Additionally, many of the most robust findings in psychiatric genetics include components that localize to dendritic spines and have important roles in information processing and plasticity.

KW - Bipolar

KW - Cannabis

KW - Cognition

KW - Connectome

KW - Dendritic spine

KW - Ketamine

KW - Plasticity

KW - Psychosis

KW - Schizophrenia

KW - ∆-tetrahydrocannabinol

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094891573&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.3/PMORRISON

DO - 10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.3/PMORRISON

M3 - Article

C2 - 33162768

AN - SCOPUS:85094891573

SN - 1294-8322

VL - 22

SP - 251

EP - 258

JO - Dialogues in clinical neuroscience

JF - Dialogues in clinical neuroscience

IS - 3

ER -