Behavioural Brain Research
January 20, 2010
Haitham Amal, Lilach Fridman-Rozevich, Roey Senn et al.
A single administration of an extremely low dose (0.002 mg/kg) of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana) to ICR mice induced long-term cognitive deficits that lasted for at least 5 months. The behavioral deficits were detected by several tests that evaluated different aspects of memory and learning, including spatial navigation and spatial and non-spatial...
Pharmacology
2010
Matthew Goddard, Paul F Smith, John C Ashton
Previous studies have suggested panic induced by cannabinoids may be potentiated by concurrently using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. We therefore tested for panic and anxiety-related behaviour in rats coadministered with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine hydrochloride and the CB1 agonist delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Although each drug alone elicited behaviours...
Clinical Neuropharmacology
2010
Joshua A Lile, Thomas H Kelly, Lon R Hays
The central effects of Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC), the primary active constituent of cannabis, are attributed to cannabinoid CB1 receptor activity, although clinical evidence is limited. Drug discrimination has proven useful for examining the neuropharmacology of drugs, as data are concordant with the actions of a drug at the receptor level. The aim of this study was to determine the...
The International journal on drug policy
2010
Jennifer McLaren, Edmund Silins, D. Hutchinson et al.
Over the past five years, the release of cohort studies assessing the link between cannabis and psychosis has increased attention on this relationship. Existing reviews generally conclude that these cohort studies show cannabis has a causal relationship to psychosis, or at least that one cannot be excluded. Few studies have evaluated the relative strengths and limitations of these...
European Psychiatry
2010
Andrea Fiorillo, D. Giacco, Mario Luciano et al.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess:a) the socio-demographic characteristics of patients with schizophrenia who were using cannabis at time of first appearing of psychotic symptoms; b) the impact of cannabis on the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and on pathways to care; c) the influence of cannabis on the clinical onset and on the first three years of the disorder. Methods: Twenty-two...
Neuropharmacology
2010
Nora Laaris, Cameron H Good, Carl R. Lupica
Marijuana impairs learning and memory through actions of its psychoactive constituent, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), in the hippocampus, through activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R). CB1Rs are found on glutamate and GABA neuron axon terminals in the hippocampus where they control neurotransmitter release. Previous studies suggest that Delta(9)-THC is a partial agonist...
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
2010
Lauren C Harte, Diana Dow-Edwards
Research suggests that use and abuse of marijuana can be especially harmful if it occurs during adolescence, a period of vast developmental changes throughout the brain. We examined the effects of 2mg/kg (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administered daily via intra-peritoneal injections during juvenile/early adolescence (postnatal day 22-40) or late adolescence (postnatal day 41-60) on locomotor...
Frontiers in Psychology
2010
John C Churchwell, Melissa P Lopez-Larson, Deborah A Yurgelun-Todd
Anticipating future outcomes is central to decision making and a failure to consider long-term consequences may lead to impulsive choices. Adolescence is a vulnerable period during which underdeveloped prefrontal cortical systems may contribute to poor judgment, impulsive choices, and substance abuse. Conversely, substance abuse during this period may alter neural systems involved in decision...
European Psychiatry
2010
R. Skinner, L. Conlon, D. Gibbons et al.
ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between cannabis use and self-report dimensions of psychosis in a population of university students presenting for any reason to primary care.MethodOne thousand and forty-nine students attending the Student Health Unit, National University of Ireland, Galway, completed self-report questionnaires on alcohol and substance misuse, non-clinical dimensions of...
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry
December 1, 2009
Bart D. Peters, Pelle de Koning, Peter M. A. J. Dingemans et al.
35 citations
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to gain more insight into the positive and negative effects of cannabis in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia and in the ultra-high-risk (UHR) state for psychosis. METHOD: A theory-driven questionnaire was used to examine subjective effects in the prodromal phase in male subjects with a recent onset of schizophrenia or related disorder (n = 52) and...