Adolescents are more sensitive than adults to acute behavioral and cognitive effects of THC.
Conor H Murray, Zhengyi Huang, Royce Lee, Harriet de Wit
Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01281-w via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAdolescents aged 18-20 are more sensitive than adults aged 30-40 to the performance-impairing effects of THC, the main active component of cannabis. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 12 adolescents and 12 adults who had used THC fewer than 20 times, THC doses of 7.5 and 15 mg impaired reaction time, response accuracy, and time perception more in adolescents. THC also decreased P300 brain-wave amplitude in adolescents but not adults, indicating greater cognitive and brain-function disruption at doses that produced similar subjective intoxication and heart-rate effects in both age groups.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 24 |
| Population | Adolescents aged 18-20 and adults aged 30-40 with less than 20 lifetime uses of THC-containing products |
| Intervention | THC |
| Dose | 7.5, 15 mg |
| Duration | Three study sessions |
| Key finding | Adolescents exhibited greater sensitivity than adults to THC-induced impairments in reaction time, response accuracy, time perception, and P300 amplitude, despite similar subjective and cardiovascular effects. |
Abstract
Increased cannabis availability has contributed to increased use with concomitant incidence of adverse effects. One risk factor for adverse drug reactions may be age. There is preclinical evidence that acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active constituent of cannabis, are greater during adolescence, but this has not been fully studied in humans. The present study sought to determine whether adolescent men and women are more sensitive than adults to acute THC. Adolescents aged 18-20 (N = 12) and adults aged 30-40 (N = 12), with less than 20 total lifetime uses of THC-containing products, received capsules of THC (7.5, 15 mg) and placebo across three study sessions in randomized order under double blind conditions. During each session, subjective, cardiovascular, behavioral, and EEG measures were obtained. Behavioral measures included Simple Reaction Time, Stop Task, Time Production and N-back and EEG measures included P300 amplitudes during an auditory oddball task and eyes-closed resting state. THC affected subjective state and heart rate similarly in both age groups. However, adolescents were more sensitive to performance impairing effects, exhibiting dose-dependent impairments on reaction time, response accuracy, and time perception. On EEG measures, THC dose-dependently decreased P300 amplitude in adolescents but not adults. Adolescents were more sensitive to behavioral and cognitive effects of THC, but not to cardiovascular effects or subjective measures. Thus, at doses that produce comparable ratings of intoxication, adolescents may exhibit greater cognitive impairment and alterations in brain function.