Jacob Bell
New Member
Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report
José Alexandre S Crippa1,2
Guilherme Nogueira Derenusson1,2
Thiago Borduqui Ferrari1,2
Lauro Wichert-Ana3
Fábio LS Duran4
Rocio Martin-Santos2,5
Marcus VinÃcius Simões3,6
Sagnik Bhattacharyya5
Paolo Fusar-Poli5
Zerrin Atakan5
Alaor Santos Filho1,2
Maria CecÃlia Freitas-Ferrari1,2
Philip K McGuire2,5
Antonio Waldo Zuardi1,2
Geraldo F Busatto4
Jaime Eduardo CecÃlio Hallak1,2
1Departments of Neurosciences and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
2NCT Translational Medicine.
3Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
4Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
5Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, UK.
6Medical Clinic, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
José Alexandre S Crippa, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry; Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo, Hospital das ClÃnicas - Terceiro Andar; Av. Bandeirantes, 3900; Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil Email: jcrippa@fmrp.usp.br
Abstract
Animal and human studies indicate that cannabidiol (CBD), a major constituent of cannabis, has anxiolytic properties. However, no study to date has investigated the effects of this compound on human pathological anxiety and its underlying brain mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to investigate this in patients with generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD) using functional neuroimaging. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at rest was measured twice using (99m)Tc-ECD SPECT in 10 treatment-naïve patients with SAD. In the first session, subjects were given an oral dose of CBD (400 mg) or placebo, in a double-blind procedure. In the second session, the same procedure was performed using the drug that had not been administered in the previous session. Within-subject between-condition rCBF comparisons were performed using statistical parametric mapping. Relative to placebo, CBD was associated with significantly decreased subjective anxiety (p < 0.001), reduced ECD uptake in the left parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, and inferior temporal gyrus (p < 0.001, uncorrected), and increased ECD uptake in the right posterior cingulate gyrus (p < 0.001, uncorrected). These results suggest that CBD reduces anxiety in SAD and that this is related to its effects on activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas.
Source: Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report
José Alexandre S Crippa1,2
Guilherme Nogueira Derenusson1,2
Thiago Borduqui Ferrari1,2
Lauro Wichert-Ana3
Fábio LS Duran4
Rocio Martin-Santos2,5
Marcus VinÃcius Simões3,6
Sagnik Bhattacharyya5
Paolo Fusar-Poli5
Zerrin Atakan5
Alaor Santos Filho1,2
Maria CecÃlia Freitas-Ferrari1,2
Philip K McGuire2,5
Antonio Waldo Zuardi1,2
Geraldo F Busatto4
Jaime Eduardo CecÃlio Hallak1,2
1Departments of Neurosciences and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
2NCT Translational Medicine.
3Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
4Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
5Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, UK.
6Medical Clinic, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
José Alexandre S Crippa, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry; Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto; Universidade de São Paulo, Hospital das ClÃnicas - Terceiro Andar; Av. Bandeirantes, 3900; Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil Email: jcrippa@fmrp.usp.br
Abstract
Animal and human studies indicate that cannabidiol (CBD), a major constituent of cannabis, has anxiolytic properties. However, no study to date has investigated the effects of this compound on human pathological anxiety and its underlying brain mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to investigate this in patients with generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD) using functional neuroimaging. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at rest was measured twice using (99m)Tc-ECD SPECT in 10 treatment-naïve patients with SAD. In the first session, subjects were given an oral dose of CBD (400 mg) or placebo, in a double-blind procedure. In the second session, the same procedure was performed using the drug that had not been administered in the previous session. Within-subject between-condition rCBF comparisons were performed using statistical parametric mapping. Relative to placebo, CBD was associated with significantly decreased subjective anxiety (p < 0.001), reduced ECD uptake in the left parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, and inferior temporal gyrus (p < 0.001, uncorrected), and increased ECD uptake in the right posterior cingulate gyrus (p < 0.001, uncorrected). These results suggest that CBD reduces anxiety in SAD and that this is related to its effects on activity in limbic and paralimbic brain areas.
Source: Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report
