Psychomotor performance in relation to acute oral administration of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and standardized cannabis extract in healthy human subjects.
Patrik Roser, Jürgen Gallinat, Gordon Weinberg, Georg Juckel, Inge Gorynia, Andreas M Stadelmann
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience August 2009 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-009-0868-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Healthy right-handed volunteers, age 27.9 +/- 2.9 years, 12 male |
| Interventions | Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) standardized cannabis extract containing Delta(9)-THC and cannabidiol |
| Measures | finger tapping test series, AIR-Scale |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key points | Cannabis extract, but not pure Delta(9)-THC, significantly reduced right-hand finger tapping frequencies, resembling a pattern seen in schizophrenia. Under pure Delta(9)-THC, left-hand tapping frequencies correlated with plasma concentrations of the metabolite 11-OH-THC. The authors propose these effects involve CB(1) receptors in the basal ganglia, cortex, and cerebellum, and that intermanual coordination may be affected, with subjective intoxication scores showing an inverted U-shaped relationship to coordination. |
Abstract
Abnormalities in psychomotor performance are a consistent finding in schizophrenic patients as well as in chronic cannabis users. The high levels of central cannabinoid (CB(1)) receptors in the basal ganglia, the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum indicate their implication in the regulation of motor activity. Based on the close relationship between cannabis use, the endogenous cannabinoid system and motor disturbances found in schizophrenia, we expected that administration of cannabinoids may change pattern of psychomotor activity like in schizophrenic patients. This prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study investigated the acute effects of cannabinoids on psychomotor performance in 24 healthy right-handed volunteers (age 27.9 +/- 2.9 years, 12 male) by comparing Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC) and standardized cannabis extract containing Delta(9)-THC and cannabidiol. Psychomotor performance was assessed by using a finger tapping test series. Cannabis extract, but not Delta(9)-THC, revealed a significant reduction of right-hand tapping frequencies that was also found in schizophrenia. As to the pure Delta(9)-THC condition, left-hand tapping frequencies were correlated with the plasma concentrations of the Delta(9)-THC metabolite 11-OH-THC. These effects are thought to be related to cannabinoid actions on CB(1) receptors in the basal ganglia, the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum. Our data further demonstrate that acute CB(1) receptor activation under the cannabis extract condition may also affect intermanual coordination (IMC) as an index of interhemispheric transfer. AIR-Scale scores as a measure of subjective perception of intoxication were dose-dependently related to IMC which was shown by an inverted U-curve. This result may be due to functional changes involving GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission within the corpus callosum.
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
Cited by 13
- Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Current Pharmaceutical Design September 12, 2012
- A Systematic Review of the Neurocognitive Effects of Psychedelics in Healthy Populations: Implications for Depressive Disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Brain Sciences March 3, 2024
- Neurological soft signs in Tunisian patients with first-episode psychosis and relation with cannabis use Annals of General Psychiatry July 12, 2017
- Sex differences in the acute effects of cannabis on human cognition: A systematic review. Frontiers in neuroendocrinology October 1, 2025
- The subjective effects of △9-tetrahydrocannabinol: A systematic review and dose-response meta-regression. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews June 3, 2026
and 8 more in the library
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- Potential antipsychotic properties of central cannabinoid (CB1) receptor antagonists The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry March 1, 2010
- The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin. British Journal of Pharmacology January 2008
- Elevated endogenous cannabinoids in schizophrenia. Neuroreport June 3, 1999
- Cannabis consumption as a prognostic factor in schizophrenia. The British Journal of Psychiatry May 1994
and 1 more in the library