Cannabidiol in Youth Alcohol Use Disorder

Phase 2

Completed

Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder

Interventions: Drug: Cannabidiol

Registration Number: NCT05317546

Lead Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina

Brief Summary: The goal of this study is to test cannabidiol (CBD) as a potentially effective candidate medication for youth alcohol use disorder (AUD). To accomplish this goal, this study will use a randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover design. In counterbalanced order, 50 youth (ages 16-22) will receive 600 mg of CBD or placebo three hours before a neuroimaging and behavioral assessment paradigm. The total amount of time the participant will be in the study is approximately one month.

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 36

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Cannabidiol, Then Placebo	Cannabidiol	-
Placebo, Then Cannabidiol	Cannabidiol	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Concentrations of Glx (i.e., Glutamate + Glutamine)	Changes 3 hours after administration of 600mg CBD vs. placebo	Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a within-subjects design, we measured Concentrations of Glx (i.e., glutamate + glutamine) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex in adolescents during cannabidiol (600mg) or placebo administration. Values provided are absolute values (mmol/kg) measured 3 hours after medication administration. Due to complexities of this method, "normal" levels of Glx are not known; thus, we cannot make conclusions about the meaning of "higher" or "lower" glutamate levels when comparing cannabidiol to placebo.
GABA+	Changes 3 hours after administration of 600mg CBD vs. placebo	Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a within-subjects design, we measured GABA+ (GABA plus macromolecules) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex in adolescents during cannabidiol (600mg) or placebo administration. Values provided are absolute values (mmol/kg) measured 3 hours after medication administration. Due to complexities of this method, "normal" levels of GABA are not known; thus, we cannot make conclusions about the meaning of "higher" or "lower" GABA levels when comparing cannabidiol to placebo.
Alcohol Cue Reactivity Neural Activation	Changes 3 hours after administration of 600mg CBD vs. placebo	Assessing the change in neural reactivity to alcohol cues after each round of medication: Cannabidiol vs. placebo. Cue reactivity is a type of learned response which is observed in individuals who use substances (e.g., alcohol) and involves significant physiological reactions to presentations of substance-related stimuli (i.e., alcohol images) in comparison to neutral images (e.g., non-alcoholic beverages ) measured by BOLD (Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent response). ROIs were (left and right hemisphere): amygdala, caudate, insula, nucleus accumbens, and putamen. The mean Z-statistic within each ROI mask is reported. A Z-score of 0 represents the population mean (e.g., no activation), where higher absolute Z-scores indicate greater evidence of activation (positive or negative) in the ROI compared to baseline. Z-scores do not have inherent clinical thresholds. Higher Z-scores generally reflect stronger task-related BOLD signal changes.
Heart Rate Variability	Changes 2 hours after administration of 600mg CBD vs. placebo	All participants underwent an in vivo, olfactory alcohol cue exposure procedure. Participants smelled water followed by the participant's preferred beverage containing alcohol and apple juice in a counterbalanced order for three minutes each, with a three-minute rest period in between each liquid. The contents were poured into a cup in the participant's presence. During the task, electrocardiogram data were collected and used to create the heart rate variability (HRV) outcome related to the Sympathetic: Vagal ratio, which is the ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency power, derived from spectral HRV analysis. Higher values suggest increased sympathetic activity or reduced vagal activity.
PhenX Toolkit Alcohol Urges Questionnaire	Changes 2 hours after administration of 600mg CBD vs. placebo	All participants underwent an in vivo, olfactory alcohol cue exposure procedure. Participants smelled water followed by the participant's preferred beverage containing alcohol and apple juice in a counterbalanced order for three minutes each, with a three-minute rest period in between each liquid. The contents were poured into a cup in the participant's presence. After each beverage exposure, self-reported alcohol craving was collected via the PhenX Toolkit Alcohol Urges Questionnaire (AUQ). The AUQ consists of eight statements about the participant's feelings and thoughts about drinking as they are completing the questionnaire (i.e., right now). The participant was asked to respond to each statement about alcohol craving via a 7-item Likert scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree" with a scare range of 8 to 56 where higher scores represent higher alcohol craving.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method

Trial Locations

Locations (1): Medical University of South Carolina
🇺🇸
Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Medical University of South Carolina
🇺🇸Charleston, South Carolina, United States