Elsevier

Biological Psychiatry

Volume 64, Issue 11, 1 December 2008, Pages 966-973
Biological Psychiatry

Archival Report
Neural Basis of Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol: Effects During Response Inhibition

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.05.011Get rights and content

Background

This study examined the effect of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) on brain activation during a motor inhibition task.

Methods

Functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioural measures were recorded while 15 healthy volunteers performed a Go/No-Go task following administration of either THC or CBD or placebo in a double-blind, pseudo-randomized, placebo-controlled repeated measures within-subject design.

Results

Relative to placebo, THC attenuated activation in the right inferior frontal and the anterior cingulate gyrus. In contrast, CBD deactivated the left temporal cortex and insula. These effects were not related to changes in anxiety, intoxication, sedation, and psychotic symptoms.

Conclusions

These data suggest that THC attenuates the engagement of brain regions that mediate response inhibition. CBD modulated function in regions not usually implicated in response inhibition.

Section snippets

Design

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, pseudo-randomized, within-subject study was conducted over three sessions (placebo, THC, CBD). Each participant was scanned three times with a 1-month interval between scans. The order of drug administration across sessions was pseudo-randomized across subjects, such that equal numbers followed each drug sequence.

Participants

Fifteen healthy Caucasian right-handed men, aged 20 to 42 years (average 26.7 years, SD 5.7) completed the study by taking part in all three imaging

Task Performance

All participants performed the task with a high degree of accuracy. There were no significant differences for mean inhibition errors or mean reaction times between placebo, THC, and CBD treatments (Table 1), although left/right errors were more common (p < .05) following both THC and CBD than placebo (Table 1).

Physiologic Variables

Mean whole blood levels of THC at 1 and 2 hours after taking the drug were 3.9 (SD 7.3) ng/mL and 5.1 (SD 5.6) ng/mL, respectively. Mean whole blood level of CBD at the same time points

Discussion

In this study, we used fMRI to investigate how the two main psychoactive ingredients of cannabis (THC and CBD) modulate brain function during response inhibition. We employed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures within-subject design, measuring the BOLD response while subjects performed a Go/No-Go paradigm (52) following oral challenge with THC, CBD, or placebo. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that THC attenuated activation in the right IFG and ACG. This effect was

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