Investigating the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Function in Psychosis Patients and Non-Psychiatric Controls With Cannabis Use

NCT ID: NCT05445180

Last Updated: 2024-05-03

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

134 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-04-21

Study Completion Date

2027-05-31

Brief Summary

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Cognitive impairment is well established in people with psychosis and is associated with cannabis use. The current study will investigate the neurobiological basis of cognitive change associated with 28-days of cannabis abstinence in people with psychosis and non-psychiatric controls with cannabis use. Participants will be randomized to a cannabis abstinent group or a non-abstinent control group and will undergo magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and following 28-days of abstinence. This study will help characterize the neuropathophysiological processes underlying cognitive dysfunction associated with cannabis use and its recovery which may guide the development of novel interventions for problematic cannabis use.

Detailed Description

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Background/Importance: Cognitive impairment is well established in people with psychosis and is associated with cannabis use. Despite high rates of cannabis use among people with psychosis and the general population, cannabis' effects on cognition and the brain and their recovery remain unclear. Therefore, this study will investigate the neurobiological basis of changes in cognitive processes associated with cannabis abstinence in people with psychosis and non-psychiatric controls.

Aims: To examine the effects of 28-days of cannabis abstinence in psychosis patients with cannabis use and non-psychiatric controls with cannabis use on (i) brain activity (paired with a memory task); (ii) brain morphology; (iii) to determine if changes in memory following 28-days of abstinence correlate with changes in brain activity and/or morphology and (iv) to determine if baseline brain function and morphology can predict successful abstinence.

Methods: Seventy-four psychosis patients with cannabis use and 60 non-psychiatric controls with cannabis use will be randomized to: (1) contingency reinforcement where biochemically verified abstinence at day 28 will be rewarded; or (2) a non-abstinent control group. The investigators will also recruit a group of healthy non-psychiatric controls (n=40) to determine if neural outcomes in cannabis-using participants do indeed normalize ("recover") following abstinence. Participants will undergo structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging while completing a memory task at baseline (pre-abstinence) and following 28-days of abstinence. Urine samples will be collected twice weekly for abstinence verification.

Relevance: This study will help to characterize the neuropathophysiological processes underlying cognitive dysfunction associated with cannabis use in people with psychosis and non-psychiatric controls which may help to guide the development of novel neurobiologically-informed interventions to treat problematic cannabis use.

Conditions

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Psychotic Disorders Cannabis Use Disorder Cannabis Dependence Cannabis Use Schizophrenia; Psychosis Cognitive Dysfunction Memory Impairment Neuroimaging

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
Research Assistant

Study Groups

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Psychosis patients with cannabis use (Abstinent)

Psychosis patients with cannabis use will receive contingency management to encourage cannabis abstinence for 28 days

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Contingency management

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Contingency management will be used to encourage abstinence

Psychosis patients with cannabis use (Non-abstinent)

Psychosis Patients with cannabis use who will continue to use cannabis as usual

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Non-Psychiatric controls with cannabis use (Abstinent)

Non-Psychiatric controls with cannabis use will receive contingency management to encourage cannabis abstinence for 28 days

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Contingency management

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Contingency management will be used to encourage abstinence

Non-Psychiatric controls with cannabis use (Non-abstinent)

Non-Psychiatric Controls with cannabis use will continue to use cannabis as usual

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Non-Psychiatric Controls without cannabis use

Non-Psychiatric controls without cannabis use

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Contingency management

Contingency management will be used to encourage abstinence

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Able to provide informed consent in English or French
* Heavy cannabis use (defined as weekly cannabis use for at six months) and/or DSM-5 diagnosis of CUD
* Have a Full-Scale IQ ≥ 75
* Meet DSM-5 criteria for a psychotic disorder (psychosis patient arm only)
* Be an outpatient receiving a stable dose of medication(s) for at least two months (psychosis patient arm only)
* Clinically stable (as measured by the PANSS-6, total score \<30) (psychosis patient arm only)

Exclusion Criteria

* current SUD (other than CUD)
* MRI contraindications
* Positive urine screen for psychoactive substances other than cannabis, nicotine, or caffeine
* Current suicidal or homicidal ideation
* Head injury requiring hospitalization or loss of consciousness \> 5 minutes
* Current medical diseases that requires hospitalization or regular monitoring
* Being pregnant
* DSM-5 Axis 1 diagnosis (other than CUD) (non-psychiatric controls only)
* Taking psychotropic medication
Minimum Eligible Age

16 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

80 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Douglas Mental Health University Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Rachel Rabin

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Rachel Rabin, Ph. D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Douglas Mental Health University Institute

Locations

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Douglas Mental Health University Institute

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Canada

Central Contacts

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Charlene Osei-Afrifa

Role: CONTACT

(514) 761-6131 ext. 3348

Facility Contacts

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Research Coordinator

Role: primary

(514) 761-6131 ext. 3348

Other Identifiers

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IUSMD-21-11

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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