# Prenatal cannabis: A fetal neuroimaging study of neurodevelopment

> **NIH NIH R01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $577,530

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Current estimates suggest that in North America over 7% of women use cannabis during pregnancy and this
use is increasing as legalization becomes more common. Despite the high prevalence of prenatal cannabis
exposure, its effects on early brain and behavioral development remain poorly characterized, leaving some with
the impression that this exposure is benign or potentially even beneficial (e.g., to treat nausea during pregnancy).
Prior neurodevelopmental research on prenatal cannabis effects have had been important limitations including
few if any brain/behavioral assessments during first two years of life (a period critical to neurodevelopment), poor
characterization of the post-natal environment, and limited assessments of pre- and post-natal maternal mood
and anxiety, thus confounding interpretation of prenatal cannabis effects. In our study, we will enroll pregnant
women with (n=300) and without a history (n=150) of cannabis use during the first trimester gestation and follow
their offspring for the first two years of life with a focus on the neurodevelopment of executive functions. First,
we will characterize prenatal cannabis use through pregnancy with self-report measures and biospecimens.
Second, we will obtain third trimester fetal MRI scans to character offspring brain structure and function free of
post-natal confounds. Third, we will assess offspring cognitive and behavioral development over the first two
years of life with parent-report and laboratory-based behavioral assessments. Our design considers critical
confounds including parent-infant interactions, pre- and postnatal maternal mood and anxiety symptoms, shared
genetic liability, and concomitant drug use during pregnancy. Given the lack of clarity on the safety of cannabis
use during pregnancy, findings from this study will have important public health implications by informing
prevention messaging and strategies particularly in this era of increasing cannabis use.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10475766
- **Project number:** 5R01DA054722-02
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Claudia I Lugo-Candelas
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $577,530
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10475766

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10475766, Prenatal cannabis: A fetal neuroimaging study of neurodevelopment (5R01DA054722-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10475766. Licensed CC0.

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