Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Cannabidiol (CBD) is being investigated as a potential treatment for several medical indications, many of which are characterised by altered memory processing. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear.Aims
Our primary aim was to investigate how CBD influences cerebral blood flow (CBF) in regions involved in memory processing. Our secondary aim was to determine if the effects of CBD on CBF were associated with differences in working and episodic memory task performance.Methods
We used a randomised, crossover, double-blind design in which 15 healthy participants were administered 600 mg oral CBD or placebo on separate days. We measured regional CBF at rest using arterial spin labelling 3 h after drug ingestion. We assessed working memory with the digit span (forward, backward) and n-back (0-back, 1-back, 2-back) tasks, and we used a prose recall task (immediate and delayed) to assess episodic memory.Results
CBD increased CBF in the hippocampus (mean (95% confidence intervals) = 15.00 (5.78-24.21) mL/100 g/min, t14 = 3.489, Cohen's d = 0.75, p = 0.004). There were no differences in memory task performance, but there was a significant correlation whereby greater CBD-induced increases in orbitofrontal CBF were associated with reduced reaction time on the 2-back working memory task ( r= -0.73, p = 0.005).Conclusions
These findings suggest that CBD increases CBF to key regions involved in memory processing, particularly the hippocampus. These results identify potential mechanisms of CBD for a range of conditions associated with altered memory processing, including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and cannabis-use disorders.
SUBMITTER: Bloomfield MAP
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7436497 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Bloomfield Michael A P MAP Green Sebastian F SF Hindocha Chandni C Yamamori Yumeya Y Yim Jocelyn Lok Ling JLL Jones Augustus P M APM Walker Hannah R HR Tokarczuk Pawel P Statton Ben B Howes Oliver D OD Curran H Valerie HV Freeman Tom P TP
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) 20200807 9
<h4>Background</h4>Cannabidiol (CBD) is being investigated as a potential treatment for several medical indications, many of which are characterised by altered memory processing. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear.<h4>Aims</h4>Our primary aim was to investigate how CBD influences cerebral blood flow (CBF) in regions involved in memory processing. Our secondary aim was to determine if the effects of CBD on CBF were associated with differences in working and episodic memo ...[more]