Clinical trial NCT03471585: Effects of THC on Emotional Memory Retrieval
Official title: The Effects of Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol on the Retrieval of Emotional Memories
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: EARLY_PHASE1
Conditions: Healthy
Keywords: THC
adult
Lead sponsor: University of Chicago
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-03-20
Enrollment: 24
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 35
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Intervention model description: Half of the participants will receive placebo during the second session in the first experimental arm and THC during the second session in the second experimental arm. The other half of participants will receive THC during the second session in the first experimental arm and placebo during the second session in the second experimental arm.
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of THC on the retrieval of emotional and neutral memories in healthy young adults. Secondary experiments included the effects of THC on the encoding of object and scene stimuli and a novel working memory task.

Detailed description: Here, the investigators aimed to investigate the effects of THC (15 mg) on the retrieval of negative, neutral, and positive memories. The study used a placebo-controlled, within-subjects, crossover design with 24 participants. In each experimental arm, participants attend a session to encode stimuli, a second session 48 hours later in which their memories are tested for the stimuli from the first session followed by the encoding of object-scene stimuli and a working memory test, and a third session 48 hours later in which memory for the object-scene stimuli is tested. In the second session, two hours prior to memory testing, THC or placebo is administered. On the first and second sessions subjects complete mood questionnaires.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 4-100 lifetime cannabis occasions

Exclusion Criteria:

* Current Axis I DSM-IV disorder, including substance dependence, current use of \>5 cigarettes per day, history of psychosis or mania, less than a high school education, lack of English fluency, a body mass index outside 19-33 kg/m2, high blood pressure (\>140/90), abnormal electrocardiogram, daily use of any medication other than birth control, pregnancy, or lactating.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Emotional Memory
timeFrame: Two hours after placebo/THC administration.
measure: DRM Memory
timeFrame: Two and a half hours after placebo/THC administration.
measure: Object Memory
timeFrame: 48 hours after placebo/THC administration.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Addiction Research Centre Inventory Marijuana Scale
timeFrame: Assessed just prior to placebo/THC administration and then 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 115 minutes after placebo/THC administration.
measure: Visual Analog Scales
timeFrame: Assessed just prior to placebo/THC administration and then 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 115 minutes after placebo/THC administration.
measure: Drug Effects Questionnaire
timeFrame: Assessed just prior to placebo/THC administration and then 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 115 minutes after placebo/THC administration.
measure: Physiological Measure 1
timeFrame: Assessed just prior to placebo/THC administration and then 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 115 minutes after placebo/THC administration.
measure: Physiological Measure 2
timeFrame: Assessed just prior to placebo/THC administration and then 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 115 minutes after placebo/THC administration.
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: University of Chicago
state: Illinois
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Chicago
name: Harriet de Wit, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: University of Chicago
name: David A Gallo, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Doss MK, Weafer J, Gallo DA, de Wit H. Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol During Encoding Impairs Perceptual Details yet Spares Context Effects on Episodic Memory. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2020 Jan;5(1):110-118. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.08.007. Epub 2019 Aug 30.
citation: Doss MK, Weafer J, Gallo DA, de Wit H. Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol at Retrieval Drives False Recollection of Neutral and Emotional Memories. Biol Psychiatry. 2018 Nov 15;84(10):743-750. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.04.020. Epub 2018 May 9.