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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2613
Pages (from-to)975-986
Number of pages12
JournalNature Mental Health
Volume2
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2024

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