Zarah R. Haniff

2 papers in the library · 52 citations · publishing 2023-2024

Papers

The acute effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol in adults and adolescents: A randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover experiment

Addiction February 8, 2023 Will Lawn, Katie Trinci, Claire Mokrysz et al. 36 citations

Adolescent cannabis users are neither more resilient nor more vulnerable than adult cannabis users to the acute psychotomimetic, verbal memory-impairing, or subjective effects of cannabis. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover experiment with 24 adolescents (16-17 years old) and 24 adults (26-29 years old) who used cannabis 0.5-3 days per week, vaporized THC (8 mg for a 75 kg person) and THC plus CBD (24 mg) both significantly increased subjective drug effect, impaired verbal episodic memory, and increased psychotomimetic effects compared to placebo. There was no evidence that adolescents differed from adults in their responses, and CBD did not modulate the acute effects of THC.

DOI: 10.1111/add.16154 Cannabis Cannabidiol Psychotomimetic Placebo +7

Psilocybin for dementia prevention? The potential role of psilocybin to alter mechanisms associated with major depression and neurodegenerative diseases

Pharmacology & Therapeutics April 6, 2024 Zarah R. Haniff, Mariia Bocharova, Tim Mantingh et al. 16 citations

Major depression increases the risk of later dementia, and late-life depression may be an early sign of dementia. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), the lifelong birth of new neurons in the dentate gyrus, supports learning, memory, and mood. Microglia, the brain's immune cells, regulate AHN, and disruptions in AHN and microgliosis are linked to both depression and neurodegenerative diseases. Psychedelics like psilocybin, a serotonergic agonist with rapid antidepressant effects, may promote neuroplasticity and modulate microglial function. This narrative review examines evidence that psilocybin could affect AHN and microglia, potentially altering the progression from major depression to dementia in at-risk individuals.

DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108641 Neurogenesis Psilocybin Neuroscience Dementia +10