Examine the Feasibility of a Standardized Field Test for Marijuana Impairment: Laboratory Evaluations

July 22, 2024 updated by: Godfrey Pearlson, Yale University

Marijuana is one of the most widely used substances. This study will characterize the persistence of cannabis' (CNB's) acute effects on cognitive test performance and simulated driving over a several hour time period. The data obtained from simulated driving, cognitive tests, and biological assays of THC will be used in analyses aimed at identifying what tests or combination of tests predict both recent use and driving impairment risk.

Eligible participants will undergo a full day screening visit, if still eligible they will come to Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut to take part in the full study. Participation requires overnight stays between each of the five study visits. On each of the study days participants are dosed with either a low dose of THC marijuana, a high dose of THC marijuana or placebo marijuana, (the low and high doses are repeated once each, order in which the study drug is given is double blind and chosen at random.)

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This responds to NHTSA's request with a proposal to increase our understanding of smoked cannabis' (CNB's) acute effects on cognition and simulated driving performance, the persistence of these deficits over the hours after use, and the influence of prior experience with CNB on these effects. The project also will link an extensive literature on CNB's effects on laboratory cognitive tests to simulated driving performance for the first time, providing a crucial validation of CNB's neurofunctional effects identifying maximally relevant candidate measures for field sobriety tests. To this goal, the proposed study was based upon a careful and thorough review of the scientific literature describing CNB effects on cognitive test performance and driving, as well as current state-of-knowledge on the sensitivity of biological assays for identifying recent CNB use. The study will carefully characterize the persistence of CNB's acute effects on cognitive test performance and driving over a several-hour time span. This will allow us to identify the point at which any effects of CNB intoxication on cognitive tests and driving performance cannot be distinguished from normal, i.e., the first step towards establishing standards for legal and social policy. The data obtained from simulated driving, cognitive tests, and biological assays of THC will be used in analyses aimed at identifying what tests or combination of tests predict both recent use and driving impairment risk.

Participants

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

26

Phase

  • Early Phase 1

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

  • United States
    • Connecticut
      • Hartford, Connecticut, United States, 06106
        • Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center

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

16 years to 36 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Must have a current driver's license
  • Have used marijuana before
  • Right handed

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Females who are pregnant or breast feeding
  • Any serious medical, or neurological disorder
  • Any psychiatric disorder
  • No major head traumas

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Regular Users
People who use marijuana regularly will be given a low dose THC marijuana, high dose THC marijuana and placebo marijuana, in a randomized order, at the five study visits.
Drug: Low Dose THC Marijuana
Dosing via vaporized marijuana using a lower concentration of THC, participants receive this dose on two of the five study visits.
Other Names:
  • THC, Cannabis
Drug: High Dose THC Marijuana
Dosing via vaporized marijuana using a higher concentration of THC, participants receive this dose on two of the five study visits.
Other Names:
  • THC, Cannabis
Drug: Placebo Marijuana
Dosing via vaporized marijuana with no THC, participants receive this dose on one of the five study visits.
Other Names:
  • THC, Cannabis
Experimental: Occasional Users
People who use marijuana occasionally will be given a low dose THC marijuana, high dose THC marijuana and placebo marijuana, in a randomized order, at the five study visits.
Drug: Low Dose THC Marijuana
Dosing via vaporized marijuana using a lower concentration of THC, participants receive this dose on two of the five study visits.
Other Names:
  • THC, Cannabis
Drug: High Dose THC Marijuana
Dosing via vaporized marijuana using a higher concentration of THC, participants receive this dose on two of the five study visits.
Other Names:
  • THC, Cannabis
Drug: Placebo Marijuana
Dosing via vaporized marijuana with no THC, participants receive this dose on one of the five study visits.
Other Names:
  • THC, Cannabis

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Marijuana induced performance changes on Cogstate 1-back/2-back task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Cogstate 1-back/2-back task assesses working memory, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on Cogstate Card Learning.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Cogstate Card Learning task assesses visual memory, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on Cogstate Groton Maze Learning task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Cogstate Groton Maze Learning task assesses spatial learning and memory, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on Cogstate Social/Emotional Cognition task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Cogstate Social/Emotional Cognition task assesses emotional processing, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on Alertmeter.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Alertmeter task assess visual judgment and alertness, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the Time Estimation Task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Time Estimation Task assesses timing, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the Stop Signal Reaction Time task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Stop Signal Reaction Time Task assesses inhibitory processing, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the Critical Tracking Task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Critical Tracking Task assesses hand eye coordination and visuomotor tracking, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the ANAM Pursuit Tracking Task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The ANAM Pursuit Tracking Task assesses hand eye coordination, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the Finger to Nose Task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Finger to Nose Task assesses general motor coordination, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the One Leg Stand Task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The One Leg Stand Task assesses general motor coordination, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the Line Walking/Months Backwards Task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Line Walking/Months Backwards Task assesses general motor coordination plus distraction, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
Marijuana induced performance changes on the Time Reproduction Task.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours
The Time Reproduction Task assesses general motor coordination plus timing, it will be administered prior to dosing and at various time points after dosing.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 10 min; 1.5 hours 2.5 hours; 4.5 hours; 6.5 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in concentration of THC/metabolites in blood samples.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 5 min, 20 min, 1 hr 10 min, 1 hr 45 min, 2 hrs 30 min, 4 hrs, and 6 hrs 30 min.
Blood samples with be collected at 8 times throughout each day to assess for changes of THC and its metabolite levels.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 5 min, 20 min, 1 hr 10 min, 1 hr 45 min, 2 hrs 30 min, 4 hrs, and 6 hrs 30 min.
Change in concentration of THC/metabolites in oral fluid tested using Draeger Drug Detection Kits.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 5 min, 20 min, 1 hr 10 min, 1 hr 45 min, 2 hrs 30 min, 4 hrs, and 6 hrs 30 min.
Oral fluid samples with be collected at 8 times throughout each day to assess for changes of THC and its metabolite levels.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 5 min, 20 min, 1 hr 10 min, 1 hr 45 min, 2 hrs 30 min, 4 hrs, and 6 hrs 30 min.
Change in concentration of THC/metabolites in oral fluid tested using Quantisal Oral Fluid Collection devices.
Time Frame: Baseline and post drug administration at: 5 min, 20 min, 1 hr 10 min, 1 hr 45 min, 2 hrs 30 min, 4 hrs, and 6 hrs 30 min.
Oral fluid samples with be collected at 8 times throughout each day to assess for changes of THC and its metabolite levels.
Baseline and post drug administration at: 5 min, 20 min, 1 hr 10 min, 1 hr 45 min, 2 hrs 30 min, 4 hrs, and 6 hrs 30 min.
Change in performance on simulated driving Road Tracking Task.
Time Frame: Post drug administration at: 1 hour, 3 hours and 5 hours
The Road Tracking Task measures operational control of the vehicle. Operational control is measured by standard deviation of lane position from the center point of the lane.
Post drug administration at: 1 hour, 3 hours and 5 hours
Change in performance on simulated driving Car Following Task.
Time Frame: Post drug administration at: 1 hour, 3 hours and 5 hours
The Car Following Task measures tactical control of the vehicle. Tactical control of the vehicle is measured by following distance from a lead vehicle.
Post drug administration at: 1 hour, 3 hours and 5 hours
Change in performance on simulated driving Gap Acceptance Task.
Time Frame: Post drug administration at: 1 hour, 3 hours and 5 hours
The Gap Acceptance Task measures strategic control of the vehicle. Strategic control of the vehicle is measured by size of headway gaps that the participant chooses in pulling out into oncoming traffic to overtake a stopped car.
Post drug administration at: 1 hour, 3 hours and 5 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Yale University

Collaborators

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Hartford Hospital
Maastricht University
Montana State University
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
The Mind Research Network

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 (Actual)

December 1, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 30, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

March 30, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 15, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 15, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

June 19, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 23, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 22, 2024

Last Verified

July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2000021338
  • DTNH2216C00022 (Other Identifier: Department of Transportation)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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