title: Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in generalized social anxiety disorder: a preliminary report.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Division of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. jcrippa@fmrp.usp.br
authors.forename: José Alexandre S
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Crippa
authors.forename: Guilherme Nogueira
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Derenusson
authors.forename: Thiago Borduqui
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Lauro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wichert-Ana
authors.forename: Fábio L S
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martin-Santos
authors.forename: Marcus Vinícius
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: Sagnik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fusar-Poli
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Atakan
authors.forename: Alaor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos Filho
authors.forename: Maria Cecília
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Freitas-Ferrari
authors.forename: Philip K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Antonio Waldo
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Zuardi
authors.forename: Geraldo F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Busatto
authors.forename: Jaime Eduardo Cecílio
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hallak
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D010919:Placebos; D002185:Cannabidiol