Effects of THC on Emotional Memory Retrieval

NCT ID: NCT03471585

Last Updated: 2019-05-30

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: EARLY_PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 24 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-02-15
• Study Completion Date: 2017-10-04

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.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Placebo oral capsule

Participants came in for the first session that involved encoding emotional pictures and lists of semantically related words (Deese-Roediger-McDermott or DRM task; a false memory task). Forty-eight hours later, participants received a placebo capsule (dextrose) and waited 2 hours Participants were monitored for the next 2 hours including physiological and subjective measures every 30 minutes. After 2 hours, participants' memory for the emotional stimuli and DRM stimuli was tested. Participants then encoded object stimuli overlaid onto scenes followed by a working memory test with simple color squares. After the memory tests and 3.5 hours post-capsule, if participants' physiological and subjective measures had returned to baseline, they were allowed to leave. Forty-eight hours later, memory for the object-scene stimuli was tested. Other than the capsule, this arm was identical to the THC arm.

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo oral capsule

Intervention Type: DRUG

A capsule that contains only dextrose filler administered 2 hours prior to memory testing.

THC

Participants came in for the first session that involved encoding emotional pictures and lists of semantically related words (Deese-Roediger-McDermott or DRM task; a false memory task). Forty-eight hours later, participants received a placebo capsule (dextrose) and waited 2 hours Participants were monitored for the next 2 hours including physiological and subjective measures every 30 minutes. After 2 hours, participants' memory for the emotional stimuli and DRM stimuli was tested. Participants then encoded object stimuli overlaid onto scenes followed by a working memory test with simple color squares. After the memory tests and 3.5 hours post-capsule, if participants' physiological and subjective measures had returned to baseline, they were allowed to leave. Forty-eight hours later, memory for the object-scene stimuli was tested. Other than the capsule, this arm was identical to the placebo arm.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

THC

Intervention Type: DRUG

A capsule that contains 15 mg of THC as well as dextrose filler administered 2 hours prior to memory testing.

Interventions

THC

A capsule that contains 15 mg of THC as well as dextrose filler administered 2 hours prior to memory testing.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Placebo oral capsule

A capsule that contains only dextrose filler administered 2 hours prior to memory testing.

Intervention Type: DRUG

Other Intervention Names

Marinol; Dextrose

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.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Chicago

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Harriet de Wit, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Chicago

David A Gallo, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Chicago

Locations

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Countries

United States

References

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.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 31668830 (View on PubMed)

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.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 29884456 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

IRB16-1132

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id