A role for cannabinoid CB1 receptors in mood and anxiety disorders.
J M Witkin, Eleni T. Tzavara, George G. Nomikos
Behavioural Pharmacology September 2005 DOI: 10.1097/00008877-200509000-00005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Literature review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Key findings | The review argues that the endocannabinoid system is involved in anxiety states, but pharmacological evidence is contradictory, with both anxiolytic- and anxiogenic-like effects reported for enhancers and blockers of endocannabinoid neurotransmission. The authors highlight that CB1 receptor blockade produces antidepressant-like neurochemical changes, increased extracellular monoamines in cortical but not subcortical regions, and antidepressant/antistress behavioral effects in rodents. |
Abstract
Mood and anxiety disorders, the most prevalent of the psychiatric disorders, cause immeasurable suffering worldwide. Despite impressive advances in pharmacological therapies, improvements in efficacy and side-effect profiles are needed. The present literature review examines the role that the endocannabinoid system may play in these disorders and the potential value of targeting this system in the search for novel and improved medications. Cannabis and its major psychoactive component (-)-trans-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, have profound effects on mood and can modulate anxiety and mood states. Cannabinoid receptors and other protein targets in the central nervous system (CNS) that modulate endocannabinoid function have been described. The discovery of selective modulators of some of these sites that increase or decrease endocannabinoid neurotransmission, primarily through the most prominent of the cannabinoid receptors in the CNS, the CB1 receptors, combined with transgenic mouse technology, has enabled detailed investigations into the role of these CNS sites in the regulation of mood and anxiety states. Although data point to the involvement of the endocannabinoid system in anxiety states, the pharmacological evidence seems contradictory: both anxiolytic- and anxiogenic-like effects have been reported with both endocannabinoid neurotransmission enhancers and blockers. Due to advances in the development of selective compounds directed at the CB1 receptors, significant progress has been made on this target. Recent biochemical and behavioural findings have demonstrated that blockade of CB1 receptors engenders antidepressant-like neurochemical changes (increases in extracellular levels of monoamines in cortical but not subcortical brain regions) and behavioural effects consistent with antidepressant/antistress activity in rodents.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review General (healthcare, schools, workplace) | 2021 | Review | |
| A Consensus Statement on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders | 2017 | Review and consensus statement | |
| Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II—Clinical Applications and Guidelines | 2005 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology | 2018 | Review | |
| Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression: Challenges and Strategies | 2020 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology August 1, 2016
- Cannabis containing equivalent concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) induces less state anxiety than THC-dominant cannabis Psychopharmacology October 13, 2022
- Cannabinoids, interoception, and anxiety. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior May 1, 2019
- Cognitive Functioning of Adolescent and Young Adult Cannabis Users in the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort Psychology of Addictive Behaviors April 17, 2017
- Marijuana's acute effects on cognitive bias for affective and marijuana cues. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology October 2015
and 7 more in the library
Cites 16
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