The influence of personality on the sensitivity to subjective effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol.
Daniel Kleinloog, Jasper Stevens, Jules A A C Heuberger, Philip Spinhoven, Joop van Gerven
Psychiatry Research December 30, 2014 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.10.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 184 |
| Population | Healthy subjects |
| Intervention | Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) |
| Measures | visual analogue scales, Cloninger's temperament and character inventory (TCI) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Personality traits influenced sensitivity to THC's subjective effects: 'harm avoidance' was significantly correlated with changes in 'perception', and 'self-transcendence' with changes in 'dysphoria'. Subjects with very low or very high harm avoidance were less sensitive to THC-induced perceptual changes, while those with more self-transcendence were more sensitive to THC's dysphoric effects. |
Abstract
The effects of drugs are not only determined by their pharmacological action, but also by user characteristics. This analysis explored the influence of personality on the differences in subjective effects in response to a standardized pharmacological challenge with the cannabinoid CB1/CB2 partial agonist Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). To express the sensitivity to THC, pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK–PD) non-linear mixed effects modelling was applied to the subjective response of 184 healthy subjects to a pharmacological challenge with inhalation of THC. The subjective effects were measured using visual analogue scales and described by three clusters: ‘perception’, ‘relaxation’ and ‘dysphoria’. The sensitivity for THC (described as EC50) was related to scores on Cloninger׳s temperament and character inventory (TCI) using multiple linear regression. Effect compartment models were used to describe the PK–PD relations of THC. Within the multivariate model, ‘harm avoidance’ was significantly correlated with changes in ‘perception’, and ‘self-transcendence’ with changes in ‘dysphoria’. Within the psychobiological model of personality, ‘harm avoidance’ is related to serotonergic systems. Subjects with either very low (easy-going) or very high (cautious) scores were less sensitive to THC-induced changes in ‘perception’. ‘Self-transcendence’ relates to schizotypy. Subjects with more schizotypy were more sensitive to the dysphoric subjective effects of THC.
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 2
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- Inhibition of THC-induced effects on the central nervous system and heart rate by a novel CB1 receptor antagonist AVE1625. Journal of Psychopharmacology March 2010
and 6 more in the library