Abstract
Animal and cellular work has shown that central cannabinoid-1 receptors modulate neural oscillations in the gamma range (40 Hz), which may be important for normal perceptual and cognitive processes. In order to assess the effect of cannabinoids on broadband-frequency neural oscillations in humans, the current study examined the effect of chronic cannabis use on auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) utilizing electroencephalography (EEG). Passive ASSRs were assessed using varying rates of binaural stimulation (auditory click-trains; 10–50 Hz in increments of 5 Hz; 80 dB SPL) in carefully screened cannabis users and controls. Chronic cannabis users (n=22; 12 h abstinence before study; positive 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol urine levels) and cannabis naïve controls (n=24) were evaluated. Time X frequency analyses on EEG data were performed using Fourier-based mean trial power (MTP) and phase-locking (inter-trial coherence; ITC). Transient ERPs to stimulus onset (auditory N100 components) were also evaluated. As predicted, a decrease in spectral power (MTP) at 40 Hz was observed in the cannabis group (p<0.018). No effects on phase-locking (ITC) or the N100 were observed. Further, within the cannabis group, lower 40 Hz power correlated with an earlier age of onset of cannabis use (p<0.04). These data suggest that chronic exposure to exogenous cannabinoids can alter the ability to generate neural oscillations, particularly in the gamma range. This is consistent with preclinical animal and cellular data, which may have implications for understanding the short- and long-term psychopharmacological effects of cannabis.
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Acknowledgements
This research project was funded in part by grants from NIDA (1 R03 DA019630-01A1) and a NARSAD Young Investigator Award to PDS. We would like to thank Giri P Krishnan for his assistance with EEG data analysis, and Peter Finn, Jennifer Vohs, Charlotta Campbell, Ken Mackie, and the late Michael Walker for their input and help throughout the project.
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Deepak Cyril D’Souza has in the past 3 years or currently receives research grant support administered through Yale University School of Medicine from Astra Zeneca, Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly, Organon, Pfizer, and Sanofi; he is a consultant for Bristol Meyers Squibb. Other authors of this manuscript declare no conflict of interest.
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Skosnik, P., D'Souza, D., Steinmetz, A. et al. The Effect of Chronic Cannabinoids on Broadband EEG Neural Oscillations in Humans. Neuropsychopharmacol 37, 2184–2193 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2012.65
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2012.65
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