Processing of Salient Emotional Stimuli as a Function of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD)
Overview[ - collapse ][ - ]
| Purpose | Attentional blink refers to a phenomenon where the detection of the second of two target stimuli that are presented in Short succession within a stream of stimuli is impaired. This is explained by an insufficient availability of attentional resources. Additionally, emotionally salient stimuli, like for example pictures with a positive or negative content, are detected more often compared to neutral pictures during this attentional blink period. Cannabinoids are involved in the modulation of cognitive, attentional, and emotional processes. Interestingly, data from animals suggests that THC and CBD, both active ingredients in the Cannabis sativa plant, have opposing effects on brain cannabinoid (CB1) receptors. CB1 receptors modulate the expression of emotionally salient conditioned association in rats, if salience processes in humans are modulated in the same way remains unclear. Employing a task to detect salient stimuli, Bhattacharyya et al. (2012) showed that THC seems to make non-salient standard stimuli more salient. They showed decreased activation of the right caudate and increased right prefrontal cortex stimuli during processing of salient stimuli. Importantly, this was associated with decreased response times to standard relative to oddball stimuli. Generally, THC and CBD differentially modulate brain areas associated with attentional salience processing. For example THC seems to increase prefrontal and striatal activation whereas CBD seems to decrease it. The investigators assume that THC increases the number of correctly detected emotional stimuli during the attentional blink period, whereas CBD has no effect. Additionally, the investigators assume that pictures of the positive category are detected with higher accuracy than negative ones under the influence of THC. |
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| Condition | Healthy Humans |
| Intervention | Drug: tetrahydrocannabinol Drug: cannabidiol Other: placebo |
| Phase | N/A |
| Sponsor | Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim |
| Responsible Party | Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier | NCT02291536 |
| First Received | November 11, 2014 |
| Last Updated | November 13, 2014 |
| Last verified | November 2014 |
Tracking Information[ + expand ][ + ]
| First Received Date | November 11, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Last Updated Date | November 13, 2014 |
| Start Date | February 2014 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date | May 2015 |
| Current Primary Outcome Measures | Correctly identified emotional pictures during the attentional blink period [Time Frame: immediate] [Designated as safety issue: No]Number of correctly identified emotional pictures that were presented during the attentional blink period. |
| Current Secondary Outcome Measures | Reaction time to correctly identified emotional pictures during the attentional blink period [Time Frame: immediate] [Designated as safety issue: No]Reaction time (in ms) of the button press to the correctly identified emotional pictures that were presented during the attentional blink period. |
Descriptive Information[ + expand ][ + ]
| Brief Title | Processing of Salient Emotional Stimuli as a Function of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) |
|---|---|
| Official Title | Processing of Salient Emotional Stimuli as a Function of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) |
| Brief Summary | Attentional blink refers to a phenomenon where the detection of the second of two target stimuli that are presented in Short succession within a stream of stimuli is impaired. This is explained by an insufficient availability of attentional resources. Additionally, emotionally salient stimuli, like for example pictures with a positive or negative content, are detected more often compared to neutral pictures during this attentional blink period. Cannabinoids are involved in the modulation of cognitive, attentional, and emotional processes. Interestingly, data from animals suggests that THC and CBD, both active ingredients in the Cannabis sativa plant, have opposing effects on brain cannabinoid (CB1) receptors. CB1 receptors modulate the expression of emotionally salient conditioned association in rats, if salience processes in humans are modulated in the same way remains unclear. Employing a task to detect salient stimuli, Bhattacharyya et al. (2012) showed that THC seems to make non-salient standard stimuli more salient. They showed decreased activation of the right caudate and increased right prefrontal cortex stimuli during processing of salient stimuli. Importantly, this was associated with decreased response times to standard relative to oddball stimuli. Generally, THC and CBD differentially modulate brain areas associated with attentional salience processing. For example THC seems to increase prefrontal and striatal activation whereas CBD seems to decrease it. The investigators assume that THC increases the number of correctly detected emotional stimuli during the attentional blink period, whereas CBD has no effect. Additionally, the investigators assume that pictures of the positive category are detected with higher accuracy than negative ones under the influence of THC. |
| Detailed Description | Not Provided |
| Study Type | Interventional |
| Study Phase | N/A |
| Study Design | Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Basic Science |
| Condition | Healthy Humans |
| Intervention | Drug: tetrahydrocannabinol Drug: cannabidiol Other: placebo |
| Study Arm (s) |
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Recruitment Information[ + expand ][ + ]
| Recruitment Status | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Estimated Enrollment | 20 |
| Estimated Completion Date | May 2015 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date | December 2014 |
| Eligibility Criteria | Inclusion Criteria: - male - age between 18 and 65 years - right-handed Exclusion Criteria: - consumption of cannabis more than 5 times - substance abuse (apart from nicotine) - psychiatric disorders - epilepsy - chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes) |
| Gender | Male |
| Ages | 18 Years |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers | Accepts Healthy Volunteers |
| Contacts | Contact: Sandra Kamping, PhD 0049 621 1703 sandra.kamping@zi-mannheim.de |
| Location Countries | Germany |
Administrative Information[ + expand ][ + ]
| NCT Number | NCT02291536 |
|---|---|
| Other Study ID Numbers | AB_THC_CBD |
| Has Data Monitoring Committee | No |
| Information Provided By | Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim |
| Study Sponsor | Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim |
| Collaborators | Not Provided |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator: Oliver Grimm, MD Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim |
| Verification Date | November 2014 |
Locations[ + expand ][ + ]
| Central Institute of Mental Health | Mannheim, Germany, 68159 Contact: Sandra Kamping, PhD | 0049 621 17036342 | sandra.kamping@zi-mannheim.deSub-Investigator: Sandra Kamping, PhD Recruiting |
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