The Combined Effects of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use on the Brain: Are Co-Use and Tri-Use More Damaging than Alcohol Use Alone?

Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are three commonly used drugs, and they may be used independent of one another, in a combination of the two, or all three may even be used by an individual. Use, co-use, and tri-use are terms that can be used to describe these conditions. Previous research has found evidence that when…

Caffeine & Cognition

Caffeine, mainly found and consumed in the form of coffee, is the most widely used and accepted psychoactive drug worldwide (Yuan et al. 2020). For most students, especially ones in university, coffee and the caffeine it contains could become like your best-friend as you work through what could feel like an endless array of classes,…

The Link Between Brain Volume and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Does SES Play a Role?

It has been known that the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can negatively alter the developing brain in a variety of ways. Any amount of alcohol consumed while pregnant could potentially lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a disorder that is greatly associated with behavioral and memory problems. Some potential causes of these factors…

The Role of Serotonin Transporters in Tourette Syndrome and OCD

Tourette Syndrome is a disorder characterized by repeating motor movements and/or verbal tics that are not easily suppressed. It is common for people with Tourette Syndrome to have additional conditions such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and anxiety disorder. The simultaneous presence of Tourette Syndrome and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) has been of interest…

Designer Drugs and Their Implication on Behavior

The association between drugs and behavior is a field of research that has been essential in prescription medicines. Drugs hold the ability to influence behavior in a number of different ways; therefore studies are required to investigate these influences. Iig, Enkel, Bartsch, and Bähner (2018) are four psychologists who were interested in examining the effects…

Marijuana Use and the Teen Brain

It is a common assumption to believe that marijuana is a relatively safe recreational drug. With its many benefits for people with several disorders and its impressively low lethal dose, it has become a popular drug of choice for teenagers and young adults. Marijuana, however, does not affect young brains in the same way it…

Cannabis and the Effects of Music in Several Brain Regions

The primary psychoactive (having effect on mental processes) ingredient of cannabis is THC, which is what produces the feeling of being “stoned”, as well as having the ability to impair memory and exhibit psychotic-like symptoms. There is an additional ingredient that some forms of cannabis contain called cannabidiol which has been found to cancel out…