Link between personality and response to THC exposure
Tetiana Kardash, Dmitry Rodin, Michael Kirby, N S Davis, Igor Koman, Jonathan Gorelick, Izhak Michaelevski, Albert Pinhasov
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) June 17, 2019 preprint DOI: 10.1101/674044 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study |
|---|---|
| Population | Selectively-bred stress-resilient socially dominant and stress-sensitive socially submissive mice |
| Intervention | delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Dose | 1.5 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg |
| Duration | Short-term repeated treatment, with a 6-week washout period |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Keywords | Anxiolytic Population Euphoriant Paranoia Developmental psychology Endocrinology Pharmacology Physiology Environmental health |
| Key findings | THC dose and mouse stress phenotype interact to produce opposing effects on place preference and depressive-like behavior. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT The effects of cannabis reported by users range from experiences of euphoria and anxiolytic effects to paranoia, anxiety, and increased risk of depression. Attempts to reconcile the apparent contradictions in user response have not been conclusive. Here, we utilized selectively-bred stress-resilient socially dominant (Dom) and stress-sensitive socially submissive (Sub) mice to elucidate this contradiction. Following short-term, repeated treatment with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at two different doses (1.5 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg), Sub mice presented significant place-aversion in a Conditioned Place Preference paradigm at a high dose, whereas Dom mice displayed no place preference or aversion. Forced Swim test conducted after 6-week of washout period, revealed differential impact of the two THC doses depending upon behavioral pattern. Specifically, the low dose alleviated depressive-like behavior in Sub mice, while the high dose produced the opposite effect in Dom mice. Interestingly, corticosterone concentration in serum was elevated at the high dose regardless of the mice-population tested. We conclude here that differences in dominance behavior and stress vulnerability are involved in the regulation of cannabis response among users and should be considered when prescribing THC-containing medications to patients.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 8
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- Acute induction of anxiety in humans by delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol related to amygdalar cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptors. Scientific Reports November 3, 2017
- How cannabis causes paranoia: using the intravenous administration of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to identify key cognitive mechanisms leading to paranoia. Schizophrenia Bulletin March 2015
and 3 more in the library