Altered Reward-Related Resting-State Network Properties in Adolescent Cannabis Use and Depression
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Objective
Cannabis use among adolescents with depression is prevalent. Reward dysfunction has been documented in each condition separately, yet rarely examined in their co-occurrence. Here, we investigated cannabis use and depression comorbidity in relation to resting-state properties of reward networks in a trans-diagnostic adolescent sample.
Method
Clinicians interviewed adolescents and assessed depression with the Children’s Depression Rating Scale. Cannabis use was characterized by self-report and toxicology screens. Neuroimaging scans were acquired and processed using the Human Connectome Project pipelines. Participant-level resting state data were parcellated, and Reward Expectancy and Reward Attainment network masks derived from a reward task were applied. Graph theoretical metrics, including Strength Centrality (C Str ), Eigenvector Centrality (C Eig ), and Local Efficiency (E Loc ), were estimated within each network. Group-level clinical correlates of network properties were assessed with non-parametric analyses (10,000 permutations), adjusted for age, sex, and family-wise error (FWE) rates (p FWE < 0.05).
Results
In the full sample (N = 131; 15.3 ± 2.2 years; 65.2% female), depression severity was associated with stronger E Loc of the ventral striatum within the Reward Attainment network. Among those who used cannabis (n = 38), heavier cannabis use was linked to weaker C Str of the anterior cingulate cortex and E Loc of the postcentral somatosensory area within the Reward Expectancy network. Exploratory analyses further revealed cannabis-related dorsolateral prefrontal and cerebellar dysconnectivity across the whole brain, as well as sex differences.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that adolescent cannabis use and depression differentially influence resting-state reward network properties in co-occurring context. Additional research with larger cohort sizes is needed to corroborate findings.
