Effects of 20 mg oral Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol on the olfactory function of healthy volunteers.
Carmen Walter, Bruno G Oertel, Dagmar Ludyga, Alfred Ultsch, Thomas Hummel, Jörn Lötsch
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology November 2014 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.12415 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Dose | 20 mg oral THC |
| Duration | Assessed at baseline and 2 h after THC administration |
| Measures | Sniffin' Sticks (olfactory thresholds, odour discrimination, odour identification, composite TDI score) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Cannabinoids Olfaction Sensory pharmacology Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol |
| Key points | Oral THC at 20 mg reduced composite olfactory (TDI) scores by 5.5 points versus placebo (from 37.7 to 32.2), with increased olfactory thresholds and poorer odour discrimination. The authors state this magnitude represents a subjectively perceptible impairment and suggest THC-based analgesics may reduce olfactory acuity in patients. |
Abstract
Olfactory loss impairs the patient's quality of life. In individualized therapies, olfactory drug effects gain clinical importance. Molecular evidence suggests that among drugs with potential olfactory effects is Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is approved for several indications, including neuropathic pain or analgesia in cancer patients. The present study aimed at assessing the olfactory effects of THC to be expected during analgesic treatment. The effects of 20 mg oral THC on olfaction were assessed in a placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over study in healthy volunteers. Using an established olfactory test (Sniffin' Sticks), olfactory thresholds, odour discrimination and odour identification were assessed in 15 subjects at baseline and 2 h after THC administration. Δ(9) -Tetrahydrocannabinol impaired the performance of subjects (n = 15) in the olfactory test. Specifically, olfactory thresholds were increased and odour discrimination performance was reduced. This resulted in a significant drop in composite threshold, discrimination, identification (TDI) olfactory score by 5.5 points (from 37.7 ± 4.2 to 32.2 ± 5.6, 95% confidence interval for differences THC vs. placebo, -7.8 to -2.0, P = 0.003), which is known to be a subjectively perceptible impairment of olfactory function. Considering the resurgence of THC in medical use for several pathological conditions, the present results indicate that THC-based analgesics may be accompanied by subjectively noticeable reductions in olfactory acuity. In particular, for patients relying on their sense of smell, this might be relevant information for personalized therapy strategies.