RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cannabinoid Modulation of Amygdala Reactivity to Social Signals of Threat in Humans
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 2313
OP 2319
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5603-07.2008
VO 28
IS 10
A1 K. Luan Phan
A1 Mike Angstadt
A1 Jamie Golden
A1 Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi
A1 Ana Popovska
A1 Harriet de Wit
YR 2008
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/28/10/2313.abstract
AB The cannabinoid (CB) system is a key neurochemical mediator of anxiety and fear learning in both animals and humans. The anxiolytic effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, are believed to be mediated through direct and selective agonism of CB1 receptors localized within the basolateral amygdala, a critical brain region for threat perception. However, little is known about the effects of THC on amygdala reactivity in humans. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging and a well validated task to probe amygdala responses to threat signals in 16 healthy, recreational cannabis users after a double-blind crossover administration of THC or placebo. We found that THC significantly reduced amygdala reactivity to social signals of threat but did not affect activity in primary visual and motor cortex. The current findings fit well with the notion that THC and other cannabinoids may have an anxiolytic role in central mechanisms of fear behaviors and provide a rationale for exploring novel therapeutic strategies that target the cannabinoid system for disorders of anxiety and social fear.