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The Influence of in Utero Cannabis Exposure on Neonatal Brain Morphology and Structural Connectivity

NCT03718520 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 168

Last updated 2021-10-27

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug by women during pregnancy with an estimated prevalence of use in Colorado of 5.7%. THC and its metabolites freely cross the placenta and blood-brain barrier to bind with cannabinoid receptors, disrupting the endogenous cannabinoid signaling system during a critical period of development of cortical circuitry structure and function. The density of cannabinoid receptors in the developing brain is high, especially in the limbic areas and prefrontal lobes. Research in animal models suggests synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal lobes as well the amygdala and hippocampus are impacted by the prenatal cannabis exposure; regions associated with both cognitive and emotional control, thus influencing long-term deficiencies in attention and impulsivity. This pilot study will collect preliminary data on the structural impact of in utero cannabis exposure on region-specific morphology and structural connectivity of white matter tracts that connect to the prefrontal lobes and the limbic regions shortly after birth, before confounding by the postnatal environment becomes a major influence.

Conditions

  • Cannabis Use Disorder
  • PREG1
  • Drug Use
  • Fetal Exposure During Pregnancy
  • Neurodevelopmental Abnormality

Interventions

OTHER

no intervention, this is a purely observational study

No intervention

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

    collaborator NIH

  • University of Colorado, Denver

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Tessa Crume, PhD, MSPH · University of Colorado, Colorado School of Public Health

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2018-11-07
Primary Completion
2020-03-31
Completion
2020-03-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03718520 on ClinicalTrials.gov