Neuropsychopharmacology
October 2008
Tiziana Rubino, Daniela Vigano', Natalia Realini et al.
Few and often contradictory reports exist on the long-term neurobiological consequences of cannabinoid consumption in adolescents. The endocannabinoid system plays an important role during the different stages of brain development as cannabinoids influence the release and action of different neurotransmitters and promote neurogenesis. This study tested whether long-lasting interference by...
Schizophrenia Research
September 21, 2008
C. Corcoran, D. Kimhy, Arielle D. Stanford et al.
Background Cannabis use is reported to increase the risk for psychosis, but no prospective study has longitudinally examined drug use and symptoms concurrently in clinical high risk cases. Method We prospectively followed for up to 2 years 32 cases who met research criteria for prodromal psychosis to examine the relationship between substance use and clinical measures. Results Cases with a...
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
September 19, 2008
Cécile Henquet, Araceli Rosa, Philippe Delespaul et al.
117 citations
OBJECTIVE: A functional polymorphism in the catechol-o-methyltransferase gene (COMT Val(158)Met) may moderate the psychosis-inducing effects of cannabis. In order to extend this finding to dynamic effects in the flow of daily life, a momentary assessment study of psychotic symptoms in response to cannabis use was conducted. METHOD: The experience sampling technique was used to collect data on...
Brain Research
September 4, 2008
Michael S Smirnov, Eugene A. Kiyatkin
Marijuana smoking dramatically alters responses to various environmental stimuli. To study this phenomenon, we assessed how delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a primary psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, affects locomotor and brain (nucleus accumbens or NAcc), muscle and skin temperature responses to natural arousing stimuli (one-minute tail-pinch and one-minute social interaction with...
Psychological Medicine
September 1, 2008
E. Barkus, S. Lewis
BackgroundThe relationship between cannabis use and psychosis is still a matter for debate. Accounting for the individual differences in subjective experiences to recreational cannabis use in the general population may hold some clues to the aetiological relationship between cannabis and psychotic symptoms. We hypothesized that schizotypy would account for the individual differences in...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 2008
Lineke Zuurman, Christine Roy, R C Schoemaker et al.
This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was designed to identify which pharmacodynamic parameters most accurately quantify the effects of delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the predominantly psychoactive component of cannabis. In addition, we investigated the acceptability and usefulness of a novel mode of intrapulmonary THC administration using a Volcano vaporizer...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 2008
A Strougo, Lineke Zuurman, Christine Roy et al.
Pharmacokinetics after pulmonary administration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its major metabolites 11-OH-THC and 11-nor-9-COOH-THC was quantified. Additionally, the relationship between THC and its effects on heart rate, body sway and several visual analogue scales was investigated using pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modelling. This provided insights useful for the...
Neuropsychopharmacology
September 2008
Deepak Cyril D'Souza, Mohini Ranganathan, Gabriel Braley et al.
Cannabis is one of the most widely used illicit substances and there is growing interest in the association between cannabis use and psychosis. Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9-THC) the principal active ingredient of cannabis has been shown to induce psychotomimetic and amnestic effects in healthy individuals. Whether people who frequently use cannabis are either protected from or are...
Journal of Neurochemistry
August 2008
Cristina Cadoni, Valentina Valentini, Gaetano Di Chiara
Although cannabinoid-induced behavioral sensitization and cross-sensitization with opiates has been recently demonstrated, no information is available on the associated state and responsiveness of dopamine (DA) transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and core. In this study we investigate by means of dual probe microdialysis, the effect of exposure to a sensitizing regimen of...
Schizophrenia Research
August 2008
Oliver J Mason, Celia J M Morgan, Ana Stefanovic et al.
This study reports a new measure of psychotomimetic states in the context of cannabis and ketamine use. The Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI) has sub-scales of Delusory Thinking, Perceptual Distortions, Cognitive Disorganization, Anhedonia, Mania and Paranoia. The PSI was administered in two independent group, repeated measures designs: an experimental study of ketamine and a naturalistic...