Effects of Cannabis on Cognition and Endocannabinoid Levels in Bipolar Disorder Patients and Healthy Volunteers
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2023-02-28
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Cannabis use is associated with younger age at onset of bipolar disorder, poor outcome, and
more frequent manic episodes, but the effects of cannabis on cognition are less clear.
Contrary to reports among non-psychiatric patients, cannabis may improve cognition among
people with bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, no study to date has systematically tested the
acute effects of cannabis on cognition in bipolar disorder. Therefore, the investigators
propose to determine the effects of oral cannabinoid administration on cognitive domains
relevant to bipolar disorder, e.g., arousal, decision making, cognitive control, inhibition,
and temporal perception (sense of timing). In addition, the investigators will evaluate
different doses of the two major components of cannabis, cannabidiol and
∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and compare them to placebo on these neurocognitive measures. The
investigators will also test the effects of acute exposure to cannabinoids on cerebrospinal
levels of anandamide and homovanillic acid - markers of endocannabinoid and dopamine activity
in the brain, respectively. These studies will provide information that effectively bridges
the fields of addiction and general psychiatry, informing treatment development for co-morbid
substance abuse and psychiatric disorders.