The Influence of in Utero Cannabis Exposure on Neonatal Brain Morphology and Structural Connectivity
Public ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT03718520. Field values are reproduced from the official study page; the official ClinicalTrials.gov record remains the source of truth for eligibility, enrollment, and contact information.
Data is sourced from official ClinicalTrials.gov public API records. Always review the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for the latest information.
Brief summary
Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.
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.
Study identification
- NCT ID
- NCT03718520
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Study type
- Observational
- Phase
- Not listed
- Enrollment
- 168 participants
Conditions and interventions
Conditions
Eligibility (public fields only)
- Age range
- 18 Years and older
- Sex
- Female
- Healthy volunteers
- Not listed
This page does not interpret eligibility. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Study timeline
- Start date
- Nov 6, 2018
- Primary completion
- Mar 30, 2020
- Completion
- Mar 30, 2020
- Last update posted
- Oct 26, 2021
2018 – 2020
United States locations
- U.S. sites
- 2
- U.S. states
- 1
- U.S. cities
- 2
| Facility | City | State | ZIP | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Hospital | Aurora | Colorado | 80045 | — |
| Denver Health Medical Center | Denver | Colorado | 80204 | — |
Site contact phone numbers, emails, and investigator names are intentionally not displayed here. Open the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for site contact information.
About this trial record page
- What this page shows
- Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT03718520, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.
- What this page does not do
- No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.
- Where the data comes from
- Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.
- Last refresh
- Last update posted Oct 26, 2021 · Synced Sep 6, 2026
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Open the official record
The complete protocol, eligibility criteria, and contact information for NCT03718520 live on ClinicalTrials.gov.