The endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling system is a local regulator of synaptic activity across brain circuits involved in the regulation of emotional behaviors. Preclinical studies predominantly show that eCB signaling dampens acute stress responses, although notable exceptions exist. Various forms of chronic stress downregulate eCB signaling, and enhanced eCB tone can reduce the effects of...
Cannabinoids, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), produce anxiety at high doses, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) sends dense monosynaptic projections to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). Optogenetic excitation of the ACC → DMS pathway promotes anxiolytic-like behavior, suggesting that its suppression could induce anxiogenic...
The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is a regulatory mechanism that helps to maintain homeostasis in the brain. Cannabis use and circulating eCB disruptions have been linked with altered memory; however, this work has largely been done in animal models with minimal investigation into these relationships by sex. We aim to investigate how circulating eCB concentrations in cannabis using young adults...
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a disorder of gut-brain interaction often triggered by stress. Interventions such as meditation may improve psychological outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but their efficacy and the underlying mechanism are unknown. We conducted a 6-week single-arm pilot study to assess the effects of heartfulness meditation (HFM) in CVS using a...
Cannabis is well established to impact affective states, emotion and perceptual processing, primarily through its interactions with the endocannabinoid system. While cannabis use is quite prevalent in many individuals afflicted with psychiatric illnesses, there is considerable controversy as to whether cannabis may worsen these conditions or provide some form of therapeutic benefit. The...
Both in utero exposure to maternal immune activation and cannabis use during adolescence have been associated with increased risk for the development of schizophrenia; however, whether these exposures exert synergistic effects on brain function is not known. In the present study, mild maternal immune activation (MIA) was elicited in mice with prenatal exposure to polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid...
Extracts of Cannabis sativa have been used for their calming and sedative effects for centuries. Recent developments in drug discovery have suggested that modulation of neuronal endogenous cannabinoid signaling systems could represent a novel approach to the treatment of anxiety-related disorders while minimizing the adverse effects of direct acting cannabinoid receptor agonists. In this study,...