Bloomfield, Michael A P, Petrilli, Katherine, Lees, Rachel, Hindocha, Chandni, Beck, Katherine, Turner, Ryan J, Onwordi, Ellis Chika, Rane, Neil, Lythgoe, David J, Stone, James M, Curran, H Valerie, Howes, Oliver D and Freeman, Tom P (2021) The effects of Acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on striatal glutamatergic function: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 6 (6). pp. 660-667. ISSN 2451-9022

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Abstract

Background: Cannabis and its main psychoactive component, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can elicit transient psychotic symptoms. A key candidate biological mechanism of how THC induces psychotic symptoms is the modulation of glutamate in the brain. We sought to investigate the effects of acute THC administration on striatal glutamate levels and its relationship to the induction of psychotic symptoms.

Methods: We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure glutamate levels in the striatum in 20 healthy participants after THC (15 mg, oral) and matched placebo administration in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Psychotic symptoms were measured using the Psychotomimetic States Inventory.

Results: We found that THC administration did not significantly change glutamate (glutamate plus glutamine relative to creatine) concentration in the striatum (p =.58; scaled Jeffreys-Zellner-Siow Bayes factor = 4.29). THC increased psychotic symptoms, but the severity of these symptoms was not correlated with striatal glutamate levels.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that oral administration of 15 mg of THC does not result in altered striatal glutamate levels. Further work is needed to clarify the effects of THC on striatal glutamate.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Cannabis, Glutamate, MRS, Psychosis, Striatum, Tetrahydrocannabinol, Bayes Theorem, Corpus Striatum, Dronabinol, Hallucinogens, Humans, Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Schools and Departments:	Brighton and Sussex Medical School > Neuroscience
SWORD Depositor:	Mx Elements Account
Depositing User:	Mx Elements Account
Date Deposited:	21 Jun 2022 10:13
Last Modified:	21 Jun 2022 10:15
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/106465

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