Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36469982›Full record

ArticleJournal of anxiety disorders2023

Circulating endocannabinoids and psychological outcomes in women with PTSD.

Chloe Botsford, Angelique G Brellenthin, Josh M Cisler, Cecilia J Hillard, Kelli F Koltyn, Kevin M Crombie

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of anxiety disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.6field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Endocannabinoid system and mood responses to acute aerobic exercise in adult cancer patients versus healthy controls: a pilot study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Understanding the Role of Endocannabinoids in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
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  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Chloe BotsfordUniversity of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Psychiatry, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI 53719, United States. Electronic address: cbotsford@wisc.edu.
Angelique G BrellenthinIowa State University, Department of Kinesiology, Forker Building, 534 Wallace Road, Ames, IA 50011, United States. Electronic address: abrellen@iastate.edu.
Josh M CislerThe University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1601 Trinity Street, Building B, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Early Life Adversity Research, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School & Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1601 Trinity Street, Building B, Austin, TX 78712, United States. Electronic address: josh.cisler@austin.utexas.edu.
Cecilia J HillardMedical College of Wisconsin, Neuroscience Research Center, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA. Electronic address: chillard@mcw.edu.
Kelli F KoltynUniversity of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Kinesiology, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, United States. Electronic address: kelli.koltyn@wisc.edu.
Kevin M CrombieThe University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1601 Trinity Street, Building B, Austin, TX 78712, United States. Electronic address: kevin.crombie@austin.utexas.edu.
The University of Texas at Austin · USUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison · USIowa State University · USMedical College of Wisconsin · US

Funding

Neurochemical & Behavioral Correlates of ETOH EffectsT32AA007471 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN · PI Kimberly Nixon · 1987 to 2026
$9.2M
The influence of exercise in reducing anxiety and fear responses via the endocannabinoid system in trauma exposed adults with and without PTSDF31MH115561 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI CROMBIE, KEVIN M · 2018 to 2019
$54k
NIAAA NIH HHS T32 AA007471NIMH NIH HHS F31 MH115561
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecent research has attempted to elucidate the relationship between blood-based biomarkers (e.g., endocannabinoids; eCBs: including N-arachidonoylethanolamine [AEA] and 2-arachidonoylglycerol [2-AG]) and mental health outcomes in psychiatric populations such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prior research suggests that adults with PTSD may have altered circulating eCB tone and a blunted mobilization of eCBs (particularly 2-AG) in response to stress (e.g., aerobic exercise), although our understanding has been limited in part due to heterogenous samples and small sample sizes.

methodsA subset of data was pooled from five studies in which women with and without PTSD (N = 98) completed questionnaires related to mood states and a blood draw prior to and following a bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in order to determine: 1) whether circulating eCBs differ between groups and whether depressive and PTSD symptom severity are associated with baseline eCBs, 2) whether a bout of aerobic exercise increases circulating eCBs in adult women with PTSD, and 3) whether circulating eCBs are associated with overall mood states and exercise-induced improvements in mood states in women with and without PTSD.

resultsPTSD diagnoses were not associated with baseline concentrations of eCBs. Greater depressive symptom severity and PTSD symptom severity within the negative alteration in cognition and mood cluster were associated with lower circulating AEA. Circulating AEA significantly increased following aerobic exercise for both groups, whereas circulating 2-AG only increased in women without PTSD. Greater circulating AEA within the PTSD group was associated with lower depressive mood, confusion, and total mood disturbance.

conclusionsThese findings suggest that greater circulating AEA is associated with better overall mood and lower depressive and PTSD symptom severity, and that an acute bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise increases circulating AEA (but not 2-AG) in adult women with PTSD. These findings are consistent with the idea that greater eCB tone (particularly AEA) following pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological manipulations may be beneficial for improving psychological outcomes (e.g., mood, cognition) among PTSD, and possibly other psychiatric populations.

Indexed as

EndocannabinoidsStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultAffectExerciseFemaleHumansMood DisordersEndocannabinoidsAerobic exercise, posttraumatic stress disorder, endocannabinoid system, AnandamideBiomarkersMental healthPsychiatry

Identifiers

PMID36469982
PMCPMC9839585
OpenAlexW4309821597

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.