A brain imaging study of dopamine receptor D2 availability in cannabis dependent users after recovery from cannabis-induced psychosis
Aviv Weinstein
Frontiers in Psychiatry October 27, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1230760 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 25 |
| Population | Abstinent ex cannabis-dependent users treated for cannabis-induced psychosis, abstinent ex MDMA abusers, and healthy control participants |
| Duration | 4-month inpatient treatment |
| Topics | Cannabis CBD MDMA |
| Keywords | Psychosis Dopamine Putamen Effects of cannabis |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | No difference in dopamine D2 receptor availability in the caudate was found between abstinent cannabis users with prior psychosis, abstinent MDMA users, and healthy controls. |
Abstract
There is increased risk of psychosis associated with cannabis use disorder and the interaction of THC with dopamine neurotransmission is complex. It is important to investigate the recovery from cannabis-induced psychosis and its effects on the brain’s dopamine neurotransmission. This study was to evaluate dopamine receptor D 2 availability in the striatum (caudate/putamen) in recently abstinent cannabis dependent users after recovery from psychosis in comparison with abstinent MDMA “ecstasy” abusers and healthy control participants. Participants were eight abstinent ex cannabis-dependent users who were treated for cannabis-induced psychosis with anti-psychotic medication and psychosocial support for 4 months in an inpatient treatment center for drug users. They were compared with nine abstinent ex MDMA “ecstasy” abusers who received medication and psycho-social treatment for 4 months at the same treatment facility and eight healthy control participants. All participants were scanned with bolus and constant infusion of [ 123 I] Iodobenzamide (IBZM) in Single Photon Computed Tomography (SPECT). Cannabis abstinent users who were treated for cannabis-induced psychotic episodes showed no difference in dopamine D 2 receptor availability in the caudate compared with abstinent MDMA “ecstasy” abusers and healthy control participants. This finding indicates minimal effects of cannabis-induced psychosis on dopamine reward mechanisms. There is evidence for reduced D 2 receptor availability measures in the right putamen (uncorrected) which may indicate a residual effect of anti-psychotic medication.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Substance-Induced Psychosis: Diagnostic Challenges and Phenomenological Insights Psychiatry International October 15, 2024
- Psilocybin alleviates high-glucose and high-lipid-induced skin aging in BJ5Ta fibroblasts Biochemistry and Cell Biology 2025
- Effects of persistent cannabis use on depression, psychosis, and suicidality following cannabis‐induced psychosis: A longitudinal study American Journal on Addictions September 1, 2025
Cites 18
- High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis The British Journal of Psychiatry November 30, 2009
- Gone to Pot – A Review of the Association between Cannabis and Psychosis Frontiers in Psychiatry May 22, 2014
- Human Laboratory Studies on Cannabinoids and Psychosis. Biological Psychiatry April 1, 2016
- Substance-related exogenous psychosis: a postmodern syndrome CNS Spectrums June 25, 2020
- History of cannabis use is not associated with alterations in striatal dopamine D 2 /D 3 receptor availability Journal of Psychopharmacology September 2, 2011
and 13 more in the library