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Effects of synthetic delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on binocular depth inversion of natural and artificial objects in man.

F M Leweke, Udo Schneider, Martin Thies, T F Münte, Hinderk M. Emrich

Psychopharmacology March 1999 DOI: 10.1007/s002130050884 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 17
Population Healthy male volunteers
Intervention Dronabinol
Topics Cannabis
Key findings Dronabinol strongly impaired binocular depth inversion in most classes of objects. Objects with higher everyday familiarity were generally seen as more illusionary than those with lower familiarity. The authors suggest that Dronabinol impairs top-down processing of visual sensory data.

Abstract

Binocular depth inversion represents an illusion of visual perception that is sensitive to various behavioural and psychiatric conditions. It is affected by cannabinoids, reflecting associated changes in perception. The present study investigated the differences in binocular depth inversion of different classes of natural and artificial objects and the effect of synthetic delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Dronabinol) on these illusionary perceptions. Using this model, the effects of orally administered Dronabinol on binocular depth inversion were investigated in 17 healthy male volunteers. Pictures from natural and artificial objects were presented stereoscopically and the depth perception of the volunteers was scored in an operationalized way. The timecourse of the effects of Dronabinol on binocular depth inversion was analyzed with regard to the stimulus classes (natural and synthetic objects). Significant differences in binocular depth inversion of the different groups of stimuli were revealed. Objects with a higher degree of everyday familiarity were generally seen as more illusionary than those with a lower degree of everyday familiarity. A strong impairment of binocular depth inversion due to Dronabinol was found in most classes of objects. Analysis of different stimulus classes provides further information on the underlying perceptual processing of binocular depth inversion. An impairment of top-down processing of visual sensory data by Dronabinol is suggested. The anandamidergic system seems to be involved in areas of visual information processing.

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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

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