Cannabinoid modulation of corticolimbic activation to threat in trauma-exposed adults a preliminary study.
Excessive fear and anxiety, coupled with corticolimbic dysfunction, are core features of stress- and trauma-related psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Interestingly, low doses of ∆ To address this gap, the present study tests the effects of an acute low dose of THC on corticolimbic responses to threat in three groups of adults (1) non-trauma-exposed healthy controls (HC n 25), (2) trauma-exposed adults without PTSD (TEC n 27), and (3) trauma-exposed adults with PTSD (n 19). Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design, 71 participants were randomly assigned to receive either THC or placebo (PBO) and subsequently completed a well-established threat processing paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging. In adults with PTSD, THC lowered threat-related amygdala reactivity, increased mPFC activation during threat, and increased mPFC-amygdala functional coupling. These preliminary data suggest that THC modulates threat-related processing in trauma-exposed individuals with PTSD, which may prove advantageous as a pharmacological approach to treating stress- and trauma-related psychopathology.