London, Apr 29: Boffins studying the dangers of cannabis have found new evidence that it disrupts brain function.

Dr Zerrin Atakan has been involved in the first study that sees how the drug can precipitate psychosis and schizophrenia, and says that scientists are now 'very close' to finding a link between the drug and mental illness.

"We are very close to finding a causal link between cannabis and mental illness - all evidence is pointing in that direction," The Independent quoted her, as saying.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Atakan insists that the drug has a destabilising influence on the brain.

"There is a disturbance of the area governing thoughts and emotions and this seems to be related to temporary psychotic symptoms suffered by some of the people that took part," she revealed.

In the study that was conducted, Dr Atakan and her team found that those people who were given the cannabis compound THC had a significantly reduced activity in the frontal lobe - a part of the brain responsible for co-ordination and emotional behaviour.

hilip McGuire, professor of psychiatry and cognitive neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, who will be presenting the findings at an international conference in London this week, said that researchers had taken a step closer in finding out how THC produces psychotic symptoms.

"What hasn't been known up to now is how THC has produced psychotic symptoms. This research is about linking what we already knew of the effects of cannabis to the mechanism underlying them in the brain," he said.

http://www.dailyindia.com/ 

 

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