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Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol increases striatal glutamate levels in healthy individuals: implications for psychosis.

ABSTRACT: The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the association between cannabis use and acute or long-lasting psychosis are not completely understood. While some evidence suggests altered striatal dopamine may underlie the association, direct evidence that cannabis use affects either acute or chronic striatal dopamine is inconclusive. In contrast, pre-clinical research suggests that cannabis may affect dopamine via modulation of glutamate signaling. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design was used to investigate whether altered striatal glutamate, as measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, underlies the acute psychotomimetic effects of intravenously administered delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (?9-THC; 1.19?mg/2?ml), the key psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, in a set of 16 healthy participants (7 males) with modest previous cannabis exposure. Compared to placebo, acute administration of ?9-THC significantly increased Glutamate (Glu)?+?Glutamine (Gln) metabolites (Glx) in the left caudate head (P?=?0.027). Furthermore, compared to individuals who were not sensitive to the psychotomimetic effects of ?9-THC, individuals who developed transient psychotic-like symptoms (~70% of the sample) had significantly lower baseline Glx (placebo; P?7=?0.023) and a 2.27-times higher increase following ?9-THC administration. Lower baseline Glx values (r?=?-0.55; P?=?0.026) and higher previous cannabis exposure (r?=?0.52; P?=?0.040) were associated with a higher ?9-THC-induced Glx increase. These results suggest that an increase in striatal glutamate levels may underlie acute cannabis-induced psychosis while lower baseline levels may be a marker of greater sensitivity to its acute psychotomimetic effects and may have important public health implications.

SUBMITTER: Colizzi M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7116446 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol increases striatal glutamate levels in healthy individuals: implications for psychosis.

Colizzi Marco M Weltens Nathalie N McGuire Philip P Lythgoe David D Williams Steve S Van Oudenhove Lukas L Bhattacharyya Sagnik S

Molecular psychiatry 20190215 12

The neurobiological mechanisms underlying the association between cannabis use and acute or long-lasting psychosis are not completely understood. While some evidence suggests altered striatal dopamine may underlie the association, direct evidence that cannabis use affects either acute or chronic striatal dopamine is inconclusive. In contrast, pre-clinical research suggests that cannabis may affect dopamine via modulation of glutamate signaling. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cro ...[more]

PMID: 30770892

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Project description:ImportancePreclinical and human data suggest that hippocampal dysfunction plays a critical role in the onset of psychosis. Neural hyperactivity in the hippocampus is thought to drive an increase in subcortical dopamine function through glutamatergic projections to the striatum.ObjectiveTo examine the association between hippocampal glutamate levels in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis and their subsequent clinical outcomes.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study of 86 individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis and 30 healthy control individuals, with a mean follow-up of 18.5 months, was conducted between November 1, 2011, and November 1, 2017, at early detection services in London and Cambridge, United Kingdom.Main outcomes and measuresConcentrations of glutamate and other metabolites were measured in the left hippocampus using 3-T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at the first clinical presentation. At follow-up, clinical outcomes were assessed in terms of transition or nontransition to psychosis using the Comprehensive Assessment of the At-Risk Mental State criteria and the level of overall functioning using the Global Assessment of Function scale.ResultsOf 116 total participants, 86 were at clinical high risk for psychosis (50 [58%] male; mean [SD] age, 22.4 [3.5] years) and 30 were healthy controls (14 [47%] male; mean [SD] age, 24.7 [3.8] years). At follow-up, 12 clinical high-risk individuals developed a first episode of psychosis whereas 74 clinical high-risk individuals did not; 19 clinical high-risk individuals showed good overall functioning (Global Assessment of Function ≥65), whereas 38 clinical high-risk individuals had a poor functional outcome (Global Assessment of Function <65). Compared with clinical high-risk individuals who did not become psychotic, clinical high-risk individuals who developed psychosis showed higher hippocampal glutamate levels (mean [SD], 8.33 [1.48] vs 9.16 [1.28] glutamate levels; P = .048). The clinical high-risk individuals who developed psychosis also had higher myo-inositol levels (mean [SD], 7.60 [1.23] vs 6.24 [1.36] myo-inositol levels; P = .002) and higher creatine levels (mean [SD], 8.18 [0.74] vs 7.32 [1.09] creatine levels; P = .01) compared with clinical high-risk individuals who did not become psychotic, and higher myo-inositol levels compared with healthy controls (mean [SD], 7.60 [1.23] vs 6.19 [1.51] myo-inositol levels; P = .005). Higher hippocampal glutamate levels in clinical high-risk individuals were also associated with a poor functional outcome (mean [SD], 8.83 [1.43] vs 7.76 [1.40] glutamate levels; P = .02). In the logistic regression analyses, hippocampal glutamate levels were significantly associated with clinical outcome in terms of transition and nontransition to psychosis (β = 0.48; odds ratio = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.00-2.59; P = .05) and overall functioning (β = 0.53; odds ratio = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.10-2.66; P = .02).Conclusions and relevanceThe findings indicate that adverse clinical outcomes in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis may be associated with an increase in baseline hippocampal glutamate levels, as well as an increase in myo-inositol and creatine levels. This conclusion suggests that these measures could contribute to the stratification of clinical high-risk individuals according to future clinical outcomes.

Dataset Information

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol increases striatal glutamate levels in healthy individuals: implications for psychosis.

Publications

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol increases striatal glutamate levels in healthy individuals: implications for psychosis.

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