Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report.
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.
Crippa
José Alexandre S
JA
Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. jcrippa@fmrp.usp.br
Derenusson
Guilherme Nogueira
GN
Ferrari
Thiago Borduqui
TB
Wichert-Ana
Lauro
L
Duran
Fábio L S
FL
Martin-Santos
Rocio
R
Simões
Marcus Vinícius
MV
Bhattacharyya
Sagnik
S
Fusar-Poli
Paolo
P
Atakan
Zerrin
Z
Santos Filho
Alaor
A
Freitas-Ferrari
Maria Cecília
MC
McGuire
Philip K
PK
Zuardi
Antonio Waldo
AW
Busatto
Geraldo F
GF
Hallak
Jaime Eduardo Cecílio
JE
D000328:Adult; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D055815:Young Adult
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D010919:Placebos; D002185:Cannabidiol