Effect of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Co-use on Gray Matter Volume in Heavy Drinkers

Objective: Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are the three most frequently used drugs in the United States and co-use is common. Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use has been separately associated with altered brain structure, and alcohol and tobacco co-use results in decreases in gray matter volume. Less is known about the effect of alcohol and cannabis co-use, and alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis tri-use. Therefore, this study examined the effect of co- and tri-use on gray matter volume, a measure of brain cell density, in heavy drinkers.

Method: Heavy drinkers ( = 237; 152m/85f; age = 32.52; white = 111; black = 28; Latino = 9; American Indian = 2; Pacific Islander = 4; Asian = 59; mixed = 15; other = 9) were classified into four groups based on their alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use: alcohol only users ( = 70), alcohol and tobacco co-users ( = 90), alcohol and cannabis co-users ( = 35), and alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis tri-users ( = 42). All participants completed a structural MRI scan. Voxel-based morphometry was conducted to evaluate the effect of co-use on gray matter volume, with alcohol only users as the reference group. Age, sex, and scanner were included as covariates.

Results: Alcohol and tobacco co-users had significantly decreased left orbitofrontal gray matter volume relative to alcohol only users (Cohen's = .79). There were no differences in gray matter volume between the alcohol only and alcohol and cannabis co-users, or between the alcohol only and tri-user groups.

Conclusion: The additive effect of tobacco co-use on gray matter volumes in heavy drinkers was limited and localized. The effect of tri-use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis may have interacted, such that overlapping cannabis and tobacco use masked volume differences present in separate co-using groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).