Pilot fMRI Studies of Aging-Related Effects of THC

Launched by YALE UNIVERSITY · Oct 15, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, affects memory and learning in young to middle-aged adults. Researchers want to understand if using THC leads to immediate changes in how people remember things or learn new information. The study will involve two sessions for each participant, where some will receive THC and others will receive a placebo (a substance with no active effect) without knowing which one they have.

To participate, individuals need to be between 27 and 39 years old and should have used cannabis in the past two years, feeling "high" when they did. It's important that they can read and understand English and are willing to follow the study's guidelines. However, people with certain medical conditions, a history of serious side effects from cannabis, or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding will not be eligible. If you decide to join, you will undergo a screening process and participate in an MRI scan, which is a type of imaging test that allows researchers to see how your brain reacts to THC. This study is not yet recruiting participants, but it aims to shed light on how THC may impact memory and learning in adults.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • CNB use within past 2 years and felt "high" when used.
• • Able to read, speak, and understand English.
• • Able and willing to provide written informed consent, and willing to commit to the study protocol.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current marijuana tolerance, desire to cut down, or cravings to use during periods of abstinence.
• • Positive screen for drug or alcohol (except CNB) on test day will result in rescheduling the appointment
• • History of adverse effects with CNB
• • CNB users who are abstaining
• • IQ \<80 on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence
• • Inability to comprehend written instructions using the WRAT 4 reading achievement test
• • Pregnant, breastfeeding, and ineffective birth control methods
• • Unable or unsafe to have an MRI
• • Serious medical, neuro-ophthalmological, or neurological illness (e.g. cancer, seizure disorders, encephalopathy
• • History of head trauma with loss of consciousness \> 30 minutes or concussion lasting 30 days
• • Focal brain lesion seen on structural MRI
• • Any medical/neurological condition that could compromise neurocognitive performance (e.g. epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, fetal alcohol syndrome)
• • Anyone deemed unsafe to study personnel for any reason
• • Hearing loss such that subject cannot hear sounds at the levels (dB) or pitches (Hz) to be used in the study
• • Significant pain and/or reduced mobility in the arms