@article{b5cc77d79b5a4078aacbaa61d6fd05dc,
title = "Brain imaging of cannabinoid type I (CB1) receptors in women with cannabis use disorder and male and female healthy controls",
abstract = "Cannabis effects are predominantly mediated by pharmacological actions on cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors. Prior positron emission tomography (PET) studies in individuals who use cannabis included almost exclusively males. PET studies in females are needed because there are sex differences in cannabis effects, progression to cannabis use disorder (CUD), and withdrawal symptom severity. Females with CUD (N = 10) completed two double-blind cannabis smoking sessions (Session 1: placebo; Session 2: active), and acute cannabis effects were assessed. After Session 2, participants underwent 3 days of monitored cannabis abstinence; mood, craving, and withdrawal symptoms were assessed and a PET scan (radiotracer: [11C]OMAR) followed. [11C]OMAR Distribution volume (VT) from these participants was compared with VT of age/BMI-similar female non-users of cannabis (“healthy controls”; N = 10). VT was also compared between female and male healthy controls (N = 7). Females with CUD displayed significantly lower VT than female healthy controls in specific brain regions (hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate, and insula). Amygdala VT was negatively correlated with mood changes (anger/hostility) during abstinence, but VT was not correlated with other withdrawal symptoms or cannabis effects. Among healthy controls, females had significantly higher VT than males in all brain regions examined. Chronic cannabis use appears to foster downregulation of CB1 receptors in women, as observed previously in men, and there are inherent sex differences in CB1 availability. Future studies should elucidate the time course of CB1 downregulation among females who use cannabis and examine the relation between CB1 availability and cannabis effects among other populations (e.g., infrequent users; medicinal users).",
keywords = "PET imaging, cannabis use disorder, sex differences",
author = "Spindle, {Tory R.} and Hiroto Kuwabara and Alisha Eversole and Ayon Nandi and Ryan Vandrey and Antoine, {Denis G.} and Annie Umbricht and Guarda, {Angela S.} and Wong, {Dean F.} and Weerts, {Elise M.}",
note = "Funding Information: We thank the support staff of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, the JHU Clinical Research Unit (Bayview campus), and the Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) PET Imaging Center for outstanding contributions to the implementation of this study. We also thank the many individuals involved with the NIDA Drug Supply Program for providing cannabis used in this study and Immunalysis Corporation (Pomona, CA) for conducting blood testing for cannabinoids. This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): R21DA043963 and T32DA07209 as well as the Klarman Family Foundation. Inpatient visits in this study was supported in part by the Johns Hopkins ICTR, which is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) through the Clinical & Translational Science Awards Program. Historical female controls were drawn from a prior study supported by the Klarman Family Foundation. Male historical controls were drawn from prior studies supported by NIH DA000412 and MH079017. Funding Information: We thank the support staff of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, the JHU Clinical Research Unit (Bayview campus), and the Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) PET Imaging Center for outstanding contributions to the implementation of this study. We also thank the many individuals involved with the NIDA Drug Supply Program for providing cannabis used in this study and Immunalysis Corporation (Pomona, CA) for conducting blood testing for cannabinoids. This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): R21DA043963 and T32DA07209 as well as the Klarman Family Foundation. Inpatient visits in this study was supported in part by the Johns Hopkins ICTR, which is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) through the Clinical & Translational Science Awards Program. Historical female controls were drawn from a prior study supported by the Klarman Family Foundation. Male historical controls were drawn from prior studies supported by NIH DA000412 and MH079017. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors. Addiction Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.",
year = "2021",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1111/adb.13061",
language = "English",
volume = "26",
journal = "Addiction Biology",
issn = "1355-6215",
number = "6",
}