Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T09:18:46.050Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Acute effects of cannabis on speech illusions and psychotic-like symptoms: two studies testing the moderating effects of cannabidiol and adolescence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2020

Claire Mokrysz*
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
Natacha D. C. Shaban
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
Tom P. Freeman
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
Will Lawn
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
Rebecca A. Pope
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
Chandni Hindocha
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
Abigail Freeman
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
Matthew B. Wall
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK Invicro, Burlington Danes Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, UK Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
Michael A. P. Bloomfield
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK Psychiatric Imaging Group, Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK Division of Psychiatry, Translational Psychiatry Research Group, University College London, Maple House, London, UK NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Celia J. A. Morgan
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK Psychopharmacology and Addiction Research Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
David J. Nutt
Affiliation:
Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Experimental Medicine, Imperial College London, Burlington Danes Building, Du Cane Road, London, UK
H. Valerie Curran
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Claire Mokrysz, E-mail: c.mokrysz@ucl.ac.uk

Abstract

Background

Acute cannabis administration can produce transient psychotic-like effects in healthy individuals. However, the mechanisms through which this occurs and which factors predict vulnerability remain unclear. We investigate whether cannabis inhalation leads to psychotic-like symptoms and speech illusion; and whether cannabidiol (CBD) blunts such effects (study 1) and adolescence heightens such effects (study 2).

Methods

Two double-blind placebo-controlled studies, assessing speech illusion in a white noise task, and psychotic-like symptoms on the Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI). Study 1 compared effects of Cann-CBD (cannabis containing Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and negligible levels of CBD) with Cann+CBD (cannabis containing THC and CBD) in 17 adults. Study 2 compared effects of Cann-CBD in 20 adolescents and 20 adults. All participants were healthy individuals who currently used cannabis.

Results

In study 1, relative to placebo, both Cann-CBD and Cann+CBD increased PSI scores but not speech illusion. No differences between Cann-CBD and Cann+CBD emerged. In study 2, relative to placebo, Cann-CBD increased PSI scores and incidence of speech illusion, with the odds of experiencing speech illusion 3.1 (95% CIs 1.3–7.2) times higher after Cann-CBD. No age group differences were found for speech illusion, but adults showed heightened effects on the PSI.

Conclusions

Inhalation of cannabis reliably increases psychotic-like symptoms in healthy cannabis users and may increase the incidence of speech illusion. CBD did not influence psychotic-like effects of cannabis. Adolescents may be less vulnerable to acute psychotic-like effects of cannabis than adults.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acheson, S. K., Moore, N. L., Kuhn, C. M., Wilson, W. A., & Swartzwelder, H. S. (2011). The synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55212-2 differentially modulates thigmotaxis but not spatial learning in adolescent and adult animals. Neuroscience Letters, 487(3), 411414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arseneault, L., Cannon, M., Poulton, R., Murray, R. M., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. E. (2002). Cannabis use in adolescence and risk for adult psychosis: Longitudinal prospective study. BMJ, 325(7374), 12121213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., & Steer, R. A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric properties. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(6), 893.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (1996). Beck depression inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation, b9.Google Scholar
Bossong, M. G., van Berckel, B. N., Boellaard, R., Zuurman, L., Schuit, R. C., Windhorst, A. D., … Kahn, R. S. (2009). Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol induces dopamine release in the human striatum. Neuropsychopharmacology, 34(3), 759766.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Catalan, A., Simons, C. J., Bustamante, S., Drukker, M., Madrazo, A., de Artaza, M. G., … Gonzalez-Torres, M. A. (2014). Novel evidence that attributing affectively salient signal to random noise is associated with psychosis. PLoS One, 9(7), e102520.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cha, Y. M., Jones, K. H., Kuhn, C. M., Wilson, W. A., & Swartzwelder, H. S. (2007). Sex differences in the effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on spatial learning in adolescent and adult rats. Behavioural Pharmacology, 18(5–6), 563569.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cha, Y. M., White, A. M., Kuhn, C. M., Wilson, W. A., & Swartzwelder, H. (2006). Differential effects of delta 9-THC on learning in adolescent and adult rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 83(3), 448455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crocker, C. E., & Tibbo, P. G. (2018). The interaction of gender and cannabis in early phase psychosis. Schizophrenia Research, 194, 1825.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
D'Souza, D. C., Abi-Saab, W. M., Madonick, S., Forselius-Bielen, K., Doersch, A., Braley, G., … Krystal, J. H. (2005). Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol effects in schizophrenia: Implications for cognition, psychosis, and addiction. Biological Psychiatry, 57(6), 594608.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
D'Souza, D. C., Perry, E., MacDougall, L., Ammerman, Y., Cooper, T., Wu, Y.-T., … Krystal, J. H. (2004). The psychotomimetic effects of intravenous delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in healthy individuals: Implications for psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology, 29(8), 15581572.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
D'Souza, D. C., Ranganathan, M., Braley, G., Gueorguieva, R., Zimolo, Z., Cooper, T., … Krystal, J. (2008). Blunted psychotomimetic and amnestic effects of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in frequent users of cannabis. Neuropsychopharmacology, 33(10), 25052516.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Englund, A., Freeman, T. P., Murray, R. M., & McGuire, P. (2017). Can we make cannabis safer? The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(8), 643648.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Englund, A., Morrison, P. D., Nottage, J., Hague, D., Kane, F., Bonaccorso, S., … Holt, D. (2013). Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 27(1), 1927.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, K. M., Sterling, R. C., & Van Bockstaele, E. J. (2009). Cannabinoids and novelty investigation: Influence of age and duration of exposure. Behavioural Brain Research, 196(2), 248253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, T. P., Morgan, C. J., Hindocha, C., Schafer, G., Das, R. K., & Curran, H. V. (2014). Just say ‘know’: How do cannabinoid concentrations influence users’ estimates of cannabis potency and the amount they roll in joints? Addiction, 109(10), 16861694.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, A. M., Petrilli, K., Lees, R., Hindocha, C., Mokrysz, C., Curran, H. V., … Freeman, T. P. (2019). How does cannabidiol (CBD) influence the acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in humans? A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 107, 696712.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, T. P., Pope, R. A., Wall, M. B., Bisby, J. A., Luijten, M., Hindocha, C., … Bloomfield, M. A. (2017). Cannabis dampens the effects of music in brain regions sensitive to reward and emotion. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 21(1), 2132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Galdos, M., Simons, C., Fernandez-Rivas, A., Wichers, M., Peralta, C., Lataster, T., … Gonzalez-Torres, M. A. (2011). Affectively salient meaning in random noise: A task sensitive to psychosis liability. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 37(6), 11791186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hardwick, S., & King, L. A. (2008). Home Office Cannabis Potency Study 2008. In H, Office (Ed.), Home Office Cannabis Potency Study 2008, Home Office Scientific Development Branch. UK: St Albans.Google Scholar
Hindocha, C., Freeman, T. P., Schafer, G., Gardener, C., Das, R. K., Morgan, C. J., & Curran, H. V. (2015). Acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and their combination on facial emotion recognition: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in cannabis users. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 25(3), 325334. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.11.014.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Konings, M., Henquet, C., Maharajh, H., Hutchinson, G., & Van Os, J. (2008). Early exposure to cannabis and risk for psychosis in young adolescents in Trinidad. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 118(3), 209213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawn, W., Freeman, T. P., Pope, R. A., Joye, A., Harvey, L., Hindocha, C., … Curran, H. V. (2016). Acute and chronic effects of cannabinoids on effort-related decision-making and reward learning: An evaluation of the cannabis ‘amotivational’ hypotheses. Psychopharmacology, 233, 35373552. 10.1007/s00213-016-4383-x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leweke, F. M., Schneider, U., Radwan, M., Schmidt, E., & Emrich, H. M. (2000). Different effects of nabilone and cannabidiol on binocular depth inversion in man. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 66(1), 175181.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leweke, F. M., Schneider, U., Thies, M., Münte, T. F., & Emrich, H. M. (1999). Effects of synthetic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on binocular depth inversion of natural and artificial objects in man. Psychopharmacology, 142(3), 230235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mason, O. J., Morgan, C. J., Stefanovic, A., & Curran, H. V. (2008). The psychotomimetic states inventory (PSI): Measuring psychotic-type experiences from ketamine and cannabis. Schizophrenia Research, 103(1), 138142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mokrysz, C., Freeman, T., Korkki, S., Griffiths, K., & Curran, H. (2016). Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males. Translational Psychiatry, 6(11), e961.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, C. J., & Curran, H. V. (2008). Effects of cannabidiol on schizophrenia-like symptoms in people who use cannabis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 192(4), 306307.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, C. J., Freeman, T. P., Hindocha, C., Schafer, G., Gardner, C., & Curran, H. V. (2018). Individual and combined effects of acute delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on psychotomimetic symptoms and memory function. Translational Psychiatry, 8(1), 181.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, C. J., Gardener, C., Schafer, G., Swan, S., Demarchi, C., Freeman, T., … Tan, N. (2012). Sub-chronic impact of cannabinoids in street cannabis on cognition, psychotic-like symptoms and psychological well-being. Psychological Medicine, 42(02), 391400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morgan, C. J., Schafer, G., Freeman, T. P., & Curran, H. V. (2010). Impact of cannabidiol on the acute memory and psychotomimetic effects of smoked cannabis: Naturalistic study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 197(4), 285290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrison, P., Zois, V., McKeown, D., Lee, T., Holt, D., Powell, J., … Murray, R. (2009). The acute effects of synthetic intravenous Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol on psychosis, mood and cognitive functioning. Psychological Medicine, 39(10), 16071616.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ochoa, S., Usall, J., Cobo, J., Labad, X., & Kulkarni, J. (2012). Gender differences in schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis: A comprehensive literature review. Schizophrenia Research and Treatment, 2012, 916198. 10.1155/2012/916198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raine, A. (1991). The SPQ: A scale for the assessment of schizotypal personality based on DSM-III-R criteria. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 17(4), 555.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rimvall, M., Clemmensen, L., Munkholm, A., Rask, C., Larsen, J., Skovgaard, A., … Jeppesen, P. (2016). Introducing the White Noise task in childhood: Associations between speech illusions and psychosis vulnerability. Psychological Medicine, 46(13), 27312740.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rubino, T., & Parolaro, D. (2016). The impact of exposure to cannabinoids in adolescence: Insights from animal models. Biological Psychiatry, 79(7), 578585.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schepers, E., van Os, J., & Lousberg, R. (2019). White noise speech illusions in the general population: The association with psychosis expression and risk factors for psychosis. PLoS One, 14(2), e0211914.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmeider, U., Leweke, F., Sternemann, U., Emrich, H., & Weber, M. (1996). Visual 3D illusion: A systems-theoretical approach to psychosis. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 246(5), 256260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneider, M., Schömig, E., & Leweke, F. M. (2008). PRECLINICAL STUDY: Acute and chronic cannabinoid treatment differentially affects recognition memory and social behavior in pubertal and adult rats. Addiction Biology, 13(3-4), 345357.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stefanis, N., Delespaul, P., Henquet, C., Bakoula, C., Stefanis, C., & Van Os, J. (2004). Early adolescent cannabis exposure and positive and negative dimensions of psychosis. Addiction, 99(10), 13331341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vollema, M. G., & Hoijtink, H. (2000). The multidimensionality of self-report schizotypy in a psychiatric population: An analysis using multidimensional Rasch models. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 26(3), 565575.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Mokrysz et al. supplementary material

Mokrysz et al. supplementary material

Download Mokrysz et al. supplementary material(File)
File 13.6 KB