NCT04320537

Brain Neurochemical Profile During Marijuana Abstinence

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 37 (actual)
• Sponsor: Mclean Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: —

Summary

We have interviewed more than 120+ candidates and recruited 44 chronic marijuana users and 11 non-user healthy controls: 26 of the 44 MJ users actually participated in the study, 6 of the 26 MJ participants dropped out after their baseline magnetic resonance (MR) visits and the remaining 20 participants completed the study protocol, namely completed three MR visits for measurement of brain metabolites (baseline, day 7, and day 21); among the 11 healthy controls, 10 completed the study protocol. We are currently analyzing collected data and preparing manuscripts for peer reviewed journals.

Detailed description

Marijuana (MJ) is the most widely used illicit drug in the US among young adults. A majority of those who enter treatment for MJ dependence relapse. However, the mechanism of action of MJ on brain neurochemistry, especially in connection with the reported withdrawal symptoms, is still not well understood. We hypothesized that brain gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (glu) fluctuate during the transition between active exposure, early abstinence (1-2 days since last use), and prolonged abstinence (7 days and more), and an imbalance of GABA and glu during MJ abstinence was the metabolic source of the aforementioned withdrawal symptoms that make MJ abstinence so difficult for many individuals. The investigator's specific aims were to measure MJ abstinence related changes in levels of GABA and glu and to correlate the changes in GABA and glu with MJ withdrawal symptoms and clinical measures at baseline, day 7, and day 21 into abstinence. The MR measures were conducted at 3 tesla and the abstinence was verified by urinary tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels.

Conditions

• Brain Metabolic Changes During Marijuana Abstinence

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	abstinence from use of marijuana and other abused drugs	abstinence from use of marijuana use and other abused drugs

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-07-01
• Primary completion: 2019-07-31
• Completion: 2020-01-31
• First posted: 2020-03-25
• Last updated: 2020-03-25

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States