Sensory gating in tobacco-naïve cannabis users is unaffected by acute nicotine administration.
Ashley M Francis, Andrea Parks, Joëlle Choueiry, Nicole El-Marj, Danielle Impey, Verner J Knott, Derek J Fisher
Psychopharmacology May 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05843-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subjects comparison of acute nicotine in cannabis users, with a separate non-cannabis comparison group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 43 |
| Population | Healthy, non-tobacco-smoking male volunteers aged 18-30 (20 cannabis users, 23 non-cannabis users) |
| Interventions | Nicotine placebo gum |
| Dose | 6 mg |
| Measures | P50, N100, P200 event-related potentials, dN100 |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Event-related potential Mlaep Mid-latency auditory-evoked potential Nicotine P50 |
| Key points | Cannabis users showed poorer N100 sensory gating (smaller N100 to the first stimulus and reduced dN100) than non-users, while P50 and P200 did not differ between groups. Acute nicotine (6 mg gum) produced no significant sensory gating differences compared with placebo in cannabis users. The authors suggest gating impairment is related to cannabis use, but acute nicotine does not appear to affect sensory gating. |
Abstract
Long-term cannabis use has been associated with the appearance of psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia-like cognitive impairments; however these studies may be confounded by concomitant use of tobacco by cannabis users. We aimed to determine if previously observed cannabis-associated deficits in sensory gating would be seen in cannabis users with no history of tobacco use, as evidenced by changes in the P50, N100, and P200 event-related potentials. A secondary objective of this study was to examine the effects of acute nicotine administration on cannabis users with no tobacco use history. Three components (P50, N100, P200) of the mid-latency auditory-evoked response (MLAER) were elicited by a paired-stimulus paradigm in 43 healthy, non-tobacco smoking male volunteers between the ages of 18-30. Cannabis users (CU, n = 20) were administered nicotine (6 mg) and placebo gum within a randomized, double-blind design. Non-cannabis users (NU, n = 23) did not receive nicotine. Between-group sensory gating effects were only observed for the N100, with CUs exhibiting a smaller N100 to S1 of the paired stimulus paradigm, in addition to reduced dN100 (indicating poorer gating). Results revealed no significant sensory gating differences with acute administration of nicotine compared to placebo cannabis conditions. These findings suggest a relationship between gating impairment and cannabis use; however, acute nicotine administration nicotine does not appear to impact sensory gating function.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 48 |
| Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... | 2009 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial | n = 15 |
| Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 16 |
| Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... | 2009 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use | 2019 | Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cites 2
- Effects of Extended Cannabis Abstinence on Cognitive Outcomes in Cannabis Dependent Patients with Schizophrenia vs Non-Psychiatric Controls. Neuropsychopharmacology October 2017
- Sensory Gating Impairments in Heavy Cannabis Users are Associated with Altered Neural Oscillations Behavioral Neuroscience August 1, 2009