Alcohol use disorders are common and contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. The treatment of alcohol dependence includes the acute withdrawal phase and the post-acute rehabilitation phase. The primary goal of post-acute treatment is long-term abstinence, although reduction of alcohol consumption is also recognized as an intermediate goal. In addition to psychosocial and...
Preclinical and clinical research suggests that the endogenous cannabinoid system is involved in cognitive impairments related to schizophrenia. In particular, deficient generation of mismatch negativity (MMN) indicating auditory sensory memory is a characteristic finding in schizophrenic patients. Experimental studies implicate deficient N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor functioning in such...
Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), the principal psychoactive constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant, and other agonists at the central cannabinoid (CB(1)) receptor may induce characteristic psychomotor effects, psychotic reactions and cognitive impairment resembling schizophrenia. These effects of Delta(9)-THC can be reduced in animal and human models of psychopathology by two...