Cannabis Use Disorders
Conditions
Keywords
substance-related disorders
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction between stress and marijuana cues, in hopes that it may lead to the development of new treatments for marijuana dependence.
Detailed description
Although use of marijuana is widespread, little research has focused on the treatment of marijuana use disorders or on predictors of relapse. Although several factors contributing to relapse have been explored in other dependencies (i.e., alcohol, cocaine), little research has focused on drug cue-related or stress-induced relapse in marijuana-dependent individuals. Cue reactivity is a construct measured in a laboratory procedure where an individual's subjective, behavioral, and physiological responses are assessed following exposure to drug-related environmental cues or stressors. Investigating the effects of drug-related environmental cues and stress in marijuana-dependent individuals will be useful in guiding treatment development.
Interventions
OTHERStress + cue exposure
Trier Social Stress Task(TSST): subject is asked to give a talk and perform a math task in front of an audience, follwed by neutral and marijuana cue exposure.
OTHERNo stress + cue exposure
Neutral and marijuana-associated cue exposure (scripted imagery, in vivo cues).
Sponsors
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Medical University of South Carolina
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Methods (DSM)-IV Criteria for Marijuana Dependence * Between the ages of 18 and 65 * Must abstain from marijuana use the day of testing and other drug use three days prior to testing
Exclusion criteria
* Must not be taking any psychoactive medication, or medication that alters the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) Axis functioning * Must not be taking any medications that alter heart rate or skin conductance monitoring * Cannot meet criteria for current major Axis I disorder (may alter response to stress) * Cannot be morbidly obese (Body Mass Index \>39) * Cannot meet current abuse or dependence criteria of other substances in past 90 days * Must not have a medical condition that impacts HPA functioning (Hypertension, chronic pain, Addison's disease)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Subjective Craving of Marijuana | approx 2.5 hours (before, during and after exposure to stressor condition as well as exposure to neutral and marijuana-associated cues). | Defined as the score on the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ), range 7-84, higher scores indicate more craving |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Physiological Assessments: Serum Cortisol, ACTH, BP, HR, and GSR | ~ 2.5 hours (before, during and after exposure to stressor condition as well as exposure to neutral and marijuana-associated cues). |
| Feelings of Stress/Anxiety as Measured by the State-Trait Inventory (STAI) | ~2 hours |
| Current Mood as Assessed by the Mood Form | ~2 hours |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Recruitment details
Participants were recruited primarily through community advertisements between January 2008 and June 2009.
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Stress Participants assigned to this group are required to complete the Trier Social Stress Task, which involves delivering a 5-minute speech and performing a 5-minute math problem in front of an audience. They then complete a cue exposure session involving both neutral and marijuana-related cues. | 45 |
| No Stress Participants assigned to this group are required to read magazines for ten minutes. They then complete a cue exposure session involving both neutral and marijuana-related cues. | 42 |
| Total | 87 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Stress | No Stress | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 45 Participants | 42 Participants | 87 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 45 participants | 42 participants | 87 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 16 Participants | 13 Participants | 29 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 29 Participants | 29 Participants | 58 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | — / — | — / — |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 45 | 0 / 42 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 45 | 0 / 42 |
Outcome results
Primary
Subjective Craving of Marijuana
Defined as the score on the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ), range 7-84, higher scores indicate more craving
Time frame: approx 2.5 hours (before, during and after exposure to stressor condition as well as exposure to neutral and marijuana-associated cues).
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stress | Subjective Craving of Marijuana | 50.5 Scores on a Scale | Standard Deviation 1.6 |
| No Stress | Subjective Craving of Marijuana | 52.3 Scores on a Scale | Standard Deviation 1.6 |
Secondary
Current Mood as Assessed by the Mood Form
Time frame: ~2 hours
Secondary
Feelings of Stress/Anxiety as Measured by the State-Trait Inventory (STAI)
Time frame: ~2 hours
Secondary
Physiological Assessments: Serum Cortisol, ACTH, BP, HR, and GSR
Time frame: ~ 2.5 hours (before, during and after exposure to stressor condition as well as exposure to neutral and marijuana-associated cues).