Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37945917›Full record

Trial reportCNS drugs2023

A Semi-Naturalistic, Open-Label Trial Examining the Effect of Prescribed Medical Cannabis on Neurocognitive Performance.

Thomas R Arkell, Brooke Manning, Luke A Downey, Amie C Hayley

Open access · hybridAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in CNS drugs, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
4.4field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Review
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

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Thomas R ArkellCentre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, m 1009, ATC Building, 427-451 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VIC, 3122, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8559-6995
Brooke ManningCentre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, m 1009, ATC Building, 427-451 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VIC, 3122, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5233-8191
Luke A DowneyCentre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, m 1009, ATC Building, 427-451 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VIC, 3122, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5670-3192
Amie C HayleyCentre for Mental Health and Brain Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, m 1009, ATC Building, 427-451 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, Melbourne, VIC, 3122, Australia. ahayley@swin.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4470-4718
Institute for Breathing and Sleep · AUSwinburne University of Technology · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesMedical cannabis use is increasing in Australia and other jurisdictions, yet little is known about the effects of medical cannabis on cognitive function. Findings from studies of non-medical ('recreational') cannabis may not be applicable to patients using prescribed medical cannabis to manage a health condition.

methodsIn this semi-naturalistic, open-label trial, patients with various health conditions attended a single laboratory session in which they self-administered a standard dose of prescribed medical cannabis as per instructions on the pharmacy label. We assessed cognitive performance using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and Druid application (app) prior to and following (CANTAB: + 3 h; Druid: + 3 and 5.5 h) medical cannabis self-administration. We also assessed subjective drug effects prior to and following (1, 2 and 4 h) medical cannabis self-administration using a range of 0-10 cm visual analogue scales ('stoned', 'sedated', 'relaxed', 'comfortable', 'anxious' and 'confident'). Data were analyzed using linear fixed-effect models.

resultsParticipants (N = 40; 22 females) were prescribed a range of products including orally administered oils (n = 23) and flower for vaporization (n = 17). Participants had a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 41.38 (12.66) years and had been using medical cannabis for a mean (SD) of 10.18 (8.73) months. Chronic non-cancer pain was the most common indication for medical cannabis use (n = 20), followed by sleep disorder (n = 18) and anxiety (n = 11). The mean (SD) delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/cannabidiol (CBD) dose administered by participants was 9.61 (8.52) mg/9.15 (10.11) mg among those using an oil, and 37.00 (24.53) mg/0.38 (1.58) mg among those who vaporized flower, respectively. Participants' performance improved over time on the CANTAB Multitasking Test and Rapid Visual Information Processing test (both p-values <0.001). All other changes in cognitive performance measures over time were non-significant (p > 0.05). Vaporization of flower was associated with significantly stronger subjective feelings of 'stoned' and 'sedated' relative to oils (both p < 0.001).

conclusionsThese findings suggest that prescribed medical cannabis may have minimal acute impact on cognitive function among patients with chronic health conditions, although larger and controlled trials are needed.

Indexed as

Chronic PainMarijuana SmokingMedical MarijuanaAdultAnalgesics, OpioidDronabinolFemaleHumansOilsAnalgesics, OpioidDronabinolMedical MarijuanaOils

Identifiers

PMID37945917
PMCPMC10667416
OpenAlexW4388523429

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.