Effects of THC and CBD on Human Episodic Memory Function

January 15, 2015 updated by: Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim

Effects of D-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) on Human Episodic Memory Function

THC and CBD have distinct symptomatic and behavioral effects. In healthy individuals, THC can induce psychotic symptoms and anxiety, and can impair memory. In contrast, CBD has anxiolytic and possibly antipsychotic properties, while not impairing memory and other cognitive functions. Instead, CBD has been shown to have significant neuroprotective effects. In humans, CBD values correlated positively with gray matter concentration in bilateral hippocampus. Recent data from experimental animals and in vitro studies suggest that these distinct effects might be caused by opposing effects on brain cannabinoid receptors.

Neuroimaging studies have consistently identified brain activity recorded at prefrontal and medial temporal regions as relevant for episodic memory. Additionally, the abundance of cannabinoid receptors in the hippocampus and the parahippocampal and entorhinal cortices suggests a potential impact of CBD in memory deficits typical in healthy aging. However, the evidence relating cannabinoids to these conditions is relatively recent and has been obtained from either biochemical or pharmacological studies. It might be hypothesized that CBDs could be useful to delay or even arrest the progression of functional and structural neuronal degeneration.

The investigators will use an episodic memory paradigm to test the effects of THC, CBD and placebo on memory encoding and retention and the underlying neuronal networks on healthy male subjects.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

20

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Germany
      • Mannheim, Germany, 68159
        • Central Institute of Mental Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • no acute or chronic disease

Exclusion Criteria:

  • opioid intake
  • medication or drug abuse
  • kidney or liver dysfunction
  • claustrophobia
  • none removable metallic parts (e.g. hip replacement)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: SINGLE_GROUP
  • Masking: QUADRUPLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Tetrahydrocannabinol
10 mg of Tetrahydrocannabinol as capsule (once)
Drug: Tetrahydrocannabinol
10 mg Tetrahydrocannabinol (capsule, once) oral intake
EXPERIMENTAL: Cannabidiol
600 mg Cannabidiol capsule (once)
Drug: Cannabidiol
600 mg Cannabidiol (capsule, once) oral intake
PLACEBO_COMPARATOR: placebo
placebo capsule (once)
Drug: placebo
placebo (capsule, once) oral intake

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) responses
Time Frame: immediate
Differential changes of the BOLD response under the three different conditions (THC, CBD, placebo) during the learning and the test phase of the memory paradigm
immediate

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in behavioral measures
Time Frame: immediate
Differential changes in reaction times and number of correct responses during the three different conditions (THC, CBD, placebo)
immediate

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Oliver Grimm, M.D., Central Institute of Mental Health

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

July 1, 2014

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

December 1, 2014

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

December 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 11, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 13, 2014

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

November 14, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE)

January 16, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 15, 2015

Last Verified

November 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • LOGIN_EpMem

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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