The Effects of Cannabis Use in People With Schizophrenia on Clinical, Neuropsychological and Physiological Phenotypes

Stopped early · Phase 1/Phase 2 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Schizophrenia

In brief

Approximately 25% of people with schizophrenia abuse marijuana. These people may be using marijuana to self-medicate symptoms such as hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that are not heard or seen by others) or delusions (false beliefs i.e. people are harassing or persecuting them) or the depressed and anxious feelings brought on by these symptoms. Currently, it is unknown whether marijuana makes schizophrenia better or worse. Marijuana intoxication in people without schizophrenia generally causes decreased recall of words, may decrease reaction time and decrease inhibition. Additionally, marijuana may cause distractibility as demonstrated by difficulty keeping their eyes on a moving target and difficulty inhibiting their response to repetitive tones. However, marijuana may have different effects in schizophrenia. Receptors for cannabis (marijuana) are concentrated in the brain and maladjustment of the cannabinoid system may be associated with the difficulty in thinking found in schizophrenia. The proposed research project examines if clinical symptoms, learning, memory, inhibition and distractibility are improved or made worse by the acute ingestion of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01832766

Run by

University of Colorado, Denver

People needed

13

Starts

2005-06-01

Expected to finish

2011-05-01

Last updated by the study team

2015-09-21

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 50. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Male and females
• 18 and 50 years of age
• Diagnosis of schizophrenia
• Chronic cannabis users who have used for at least 1 year
• Using cannabis at least once weekly
• Currently being treated with antipsychotic medication
• Must be on a the same dose of antipsychotic medication for at least 3 months.
• Females of childbearing potential must use an adequate form of birth control while participating.
• Participants will be required to have blood pressures greater than 90/60 and less than 140/90.

You may not qualify if…

• Use of illicit drugs other than cannabis
• Any psychiatric hospitalizations within 3 months
• pregnancy in females
• taking clozapine

Where it is running

• University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, Colorado, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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