Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40711572›Full record

Trial reportPsychopharmacology2026

Effects of acute alcohol administration on endocannabinoids and relation to subjective effects.

Gavin N Petrie, Raegan Mazurka, Elisabeth R Paul, Niclas Stensson, Bijar Ghafouri, Matthew N Hill, Markus Heilig, Leah M Mayo

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychopharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

8 authors.

Gavin N PetrieDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Raegan MazurkaCenter for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Elisabeth R PaulCenter for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Niclas StenssonPain and Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Bijar GhafouriPain and Rehabilitation Centre, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Matthew N HillDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
Markus HeiligCenter for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Leah M MayoDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada. leah.mayo@ucalgary.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0645-4869

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleHarmful alcohol use remains a significant global public health challenge. Examining variability in the acute subjective effects of alcohol and related neurobiological mechanisms may advance the understanding of susceptibility to harmful alcohol use. Research suggests the endocannabinoid (eCB) system may play an important role in mediating the reinforcing effects of alcohol. This study examined the relationship between alcohol-induced changes in eCB concentrations and the subjective psychoactive effects of acute alcohol consumption.

methodHealthy social drinkers (n = 28, aged 20-35 years) participated in a within-subjects, single-blind, placebo-controlled laboratory alcohol challenge study. Alcohol (0.6 g/kg; with 20% adjustment for women) and placebo sessions were counterbalanced. Subjective alcohol effects were assessed from self-report questionnaires administered pre- and post-dosing, including the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES), Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ), and Profile of Mood States (POMS). The eCBs, N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG), were assessed from blood plasma taken throughout the dosing session.

resultsAcute alcohol was associated with an overall decrease in 2-AG concentrations compared to placebo. Further, we found that a drop in 2-AG concentrations was associated with less drug 'liking' and feelings of 'friendliness', whereas under placebo conditions, a rise in 2-AG was associated with a smaller decrease in feelings of 'stimulation' (e.g., feeling energized, talkative). Alcohol did not significantly affect AEA concentrations.

conclusionOur study provides the first evidence that eCBs may contribute to individual differences in sensitivity to alcohol's reward-related mechanisms by influencing subjective experience, offering insight into the potential role of eCBs in the processes underlying harmful alcohol use.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingEndocannabinoidsEthanolAdultAffectArachidonic AcidsFemaleGlyceridesHumansMalePolyunsaturated AlkamidesSingle-Blind MethodSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultanandamideArachidonic AcidsEndocannabinoidsEthanolGlyceridesglyceryl 2-arachidonatePolyunsaturated Alkamides2-AGAlcoholEndocannabinoidsSubjective effects

Identifiers

PMID40711572
PMCPMC12904980

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.