Acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and their combination on facial emotion recognition: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in cannabis users.
Chandni Hindocha, Tom P. Freeman, Gráinne Schäfer, Chelsea Gardener, Ravi Das, Celia J. A. Morgan, Helen Valerie Curran
European Neuropsychopharmacology March 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.11.014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 4-way crossover trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 48 |
| Population | Volunteers selected for high and low frequency of cannabis use and schizotypy |
| Interventions | THC CBD THC+CBD placebo |
| Dose | THC 8 mg; CBD 16 mg; THC+CBD 8 mg + 16 mg |
| Measures | emotional facial affect recognition task, visual analogue scale (VAS) of feeling 'stoned' |
| Topics | Cannabis CBD |
| Keywords | Cannabidiol CBD Emotional processing Endocannabinoid system Schizotypy δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol THC |
| Key findings | CBD improved emotional facial affect recognition at 60% intensity, whereas THC impaired recognition of ambiguous faces at 40% intensity; the THC+CBD combination produced no impairment, indicating CBD attenuates THC-induced impairment. THC alone and THC+CBD both increased 'stoned' feelings, while CBD alone did not. No effects of cannabis use frequency or schizotypy were found. |
Abstract
Acute administration of the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), impairs human facial affect recognition, implicating the endocannabinoid system in emotional processing. Another main constituent of cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), has seemingly opposite functional effects on the brain. This study aimed to determine the effects of THC and CBD, both alone and in combination on emotional facial affect recognition. 48 volunteers, selected for high and low frequency of cannabis use and schizotypy, were administered, THC (8mg), CBD (16mg), THC+CBD (8mg+16mg) and placebo, by inhalation, in a 4-way, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. They completed an emotional facial affect recognition task including fearful, angry, happy, sad, surprise and disgust faces varying in intensity from 20% to 100%. A visual analogue scale (VAS) of feeling 'stoned' was also completed. In comparison to placebo, CBD improved emotional facial affect recognition at 60% emotional intensity; THC was detrimental to the recognition of ambiguous faces of 40% intensity. The combination of THC+CBD produced no impairment. Relative to placebo, both THC alone and combined THC+CBD equally increased feelings of being 'stoned'. CBD did not influence feelings of 'stoned'. No effects of frequency of use or schizotypy were found. In conclusion, CBD improves recognition of emotional facial affect and attenuates the impairment induced by THC. This is the first human study examining the effects of different cannabinoids on emotional processing. It provides preliminary evidence that different pharmacological agents acting upon the endocannabinoid system can both improve and impair recognition of emotional faces.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on CBD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 45
- Traditional marijuana, high‐potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids: increasing risk for psychosis World Psychiatry September 22, 2016
- The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies Pharmacology & Therapeutics October 20, 2018
- Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Psychopharmacology May 1, 2019
- Acute and chronic effects of cannabinoids on effort-related decision-making and reward learning: an evaluation of the cannabis ‘amotivational’ hypotheses Psychopharmacology September 2, 2016
- Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males Translational Psychiatry November 29, 2016
and 40 more in the library
Cites 21
- Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Journal of Psychopharmacology October 5, 2012
- Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Archives of General Psychiatry 2009
- Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Current Pharmaceutical Design September 12, 2012
- Modulation of effective connectivity during emotional processing by Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology September 24, 2009
- Effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on evaluation of emotional images Journal of Psychopharmacology May 13, 2012
and 16 more in the library