The anxiolytic effect of cannabidiol depends on the nature of the trauma when patients with post-traumatic stress disorder recall their trigger event.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

We assessed whether administering cannabidiol (CBD) before recalling the traumatic event that triggered their disorder attenuates anxiety in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As an exploratory pilot analysis, we also investigated whether this effect depends on the nature of the event (sexual vs. nonsexual trauma).

METHODS:

Thirty-three patients of both sexes with PTSD were recruited and randomized 1:1 into two groups. One group received oral CBD (300 mg), and the other received a placebo before listening to a digital audio playback of their previously recorded report of the trigger event. Subjective and physiological measurements were taken before and after recall. We analyzed the data in two subsamples: trigger events involving sexual and nonsexual trauma.

RESULTS:

In the nonsexual trauma group, the differences between measurements before and after recall were significantly smaller with CBD than placebo; this held true for anxiety and cognitive impairment. However, in the sexual trauma group, the differences were non-significant for both measurements.

CONCLUSION:

A single dose of CBD (300mg) attenuated the increased anxiety and cognitive impairment induced by recalling a traumatic event in patients with PTSD when the event involved nonsexual trauma.

• Authors: Lívia Maria Bolsoni, José Alexandre S Crippa, Jaime Eduardo Cecílio Hallak, Francisco Silveira Guimarães, Antonio Waldo Zuardi
• Journal: Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999) (Braz J Psychiatry) 2022 May-Jun Vol. 44 Issue 3 Pg. 298-307 ISSN: 1809-452X [Electronic] Brazil
• PMID: 35293520 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)

Chemical References

• Anti-Anxiety Agents
• Cannabidiol

Topics

• Anti-Anxiety Agents (therapeutic use)
• Anxiety (drug therapy)
• Anxiety Disorders (drug therapy)
• Cannabidiol (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic (drug therapy, psychology)