Study of Brain and Mental Health Effects of Cannabis Use in Teens and Young Adults with Depression

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how cannabis use affects brain function in adolescents with depression. The study aims to understand the neural and psychiatric consequences of cannabis use, focusing on a wide range of depression severity and cannabis use patterns among participants aged 14 to 20 years. This research is sponsored by the University of Miami and includes both cannabis users and non-users with depressive symptoms or diagnoses. Participants will undergo neuroimaging using functional MRI fMRI at the start of the study and again at a one-year follow-up. Each fMRI session lasts about one hour and involves tasks that evaluate different aspects of reward circuitry activity in the brain. Following the imaging sessions, participants will be clinically followed for an additional year, with assessments continuing for up to three years total. During the study, participants will complete various evaluations including standardized questionnaires to measure depression severity, anhedonia loss of pleasure, and cannabis use frequency and quantity. Urine tests will be used to analyze cannabinoid metabolites. Researchers will monitor changes over time using tools such as the Beck Depression Inventory and the Montgomery-sberg Depression Rating Scale. Participants may also undergo clinical interviews and provide self-reports about symptoms and substance use. The total participation time may extend up to three years with periodic assessments.

Neural and Psychiatric Consequences of Cannabis Use in Adolescents