scholarly journals Regular Cannabis Use Associated With Lower Pain Tolerance and Greater Pain-Related Interference: Results from Laboratory and Ecologically Relevant Assessments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Alejandro Yanes ◽  
Meredith A. Reid ◽  
Lauren Yvette Atlas ◽  
Jarred W. Younger ◽  
Raul Gonzalez ◽  
...  

Substantial effort has been directed toward understanding complex associations between cannabis and pain, yet we have many, and sometimes conflicting, theories regarding cannabinoid analgesia. Although acute effects of cannabis on pain have received considerable attention, long-term effects remain understudied. Two studies were conducted. First, during the laboratory study, we measured pain ratings and pain tolerance in response to pressure-based mechanical pain among recreational cannabis users (n = 33) and cannabis non-users (n = 31). Linear mixed-effects models demonstrated that: (i) pain ratings (0-100 VAS) were not different between groups (B = 1.57 (95% CI: -10.84, 13.99), p = 0.801), (ii) pain tolerance (0-240 mmHg) was associated with anxiety (B = -5.33 (95% CI: -8.29, -2.33) p < 0.001), and (iii) users had lower tolerance after controlling for anxiety (B = -24.62 (95% CI: -49.32, 0.43), p = 0.046). Second, during the internet study, we retested these associations using more ecologically relevant endpoints in a separate sample. Participants completed the Graded Chronic Pain Scale, and pain-related daily interference was compared between users (n = 185) and non-users (n = 586). Linear models showed that interference (0-10 points) was associated with anxiety (B = 0.07 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.09), p < 0.001) and users reported greater interference after controlling for anxiety (B = 0.27 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.46), p = 0.003). Together, these outcomes suggest that regular cannabis use is associated with differences in pain processing, although additional studies are needed to provide enhanced mechanistic understanding.

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farrah Mushtaq ◽  
Valeria Mondelli ◽  
Carmine M. Pariante

SummaryAimsThe aim of this paper is to summarise the effects of cannabis use on appetite and energy balance, and to subsequently investigate the possible implications this may have in patients with psychosis, in whom a high prevalence of cannabis use has been reported.Methods– A narrative review based on the recent literature regarding cannabis use in the gen-eral population and patients with psychosis.Results– The short-term abilities of cannabis to increase appetite and body weight, through actions on the endogenous endocannabinoid system, have been well characterised throughout the literature. The long term effects of cannabis use are however unclear and only a minority of studies have been conducted in the general population with overall conflicting results. In terms of the effects of cannabis in patients with psychosis, there has only been one study to date that has investigated this and interestingly found cannabis use to be associated with increased body weight and blood glucose levels, thus providing evidence that cannabis use may be an important contributing factor to the reduced life expectancy, as is currently observed in this vulnerable patient group.Conclusions– It is clear from the literature that patients with psychosis are at a high risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease in comparison to the general population. However the contribution of cannabis use to this risk is as of yet undetermined and further long term studies are need to confirm current findings and evaluate hypothesised mechanisms.Declaration of Interest: None.


1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debora L. Dubreuil ◽  
Norman S. Endler ◽  
Nicholas P. Spanos

Subjects underwent either low intensity or high intensity acute focal pressure pain of relatively short duration on a baseline and posttest trial. On the posttest subjects in each intensity condition either engaged in distraction (shadowing letters), attended to sensations (redefinition) or were given no treatment (controls). Distraction was more effective than redefinition at reducing rated pain and at enhancing pain tolerance for subjects in the high intensity condition. Subjects who scored as repressors gave lower pain ratings than sensitizers. Moreover, in the high intensity condition repressors given distraction reported significant increases in pain tolerance while sensitizers given distraction showed no changes in tolerance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 416
Author(s):  
Tania Habib Mundol ◽  
Anitha S. Prabhu ◽  
Prakash R. M. Saldanha

Background: Various animal studies have shown that repeated painful exposures can have deleterious long-term effects on neonates. Sick newborns are exposed to multiple painful procedures such as venipunctures, suctioning even removal of plasters. There are various physiologic and behavioral indicators of pain used in various standardized pain scales such as NIPS, NFCS, FLACC scale and Wong-Baker Faces pain scale. Sucrose, as an analgesic, has been used and recommended for minor painful procedures in neonates. The optimal dose of oral sucrose has not been established. The objective of this study was to study the analgesic effect of oral administration of 2 ml of 25% oral dextrose during neonatal immunization with BCG vaccine using NIPS (Neonatal/Infant Pain Scale).Methods: 40 consecutively selected newborns were given 2 ml of 25% oral dextrose solution 2 minutes prior to receiving the routine intradermal BCG vaccination. 40 consecutively selected newborns served as controls. The pain response in both groups was assessed using the standardized Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS).Results: Of the total 80 neonates included in the study, 40 were included in the dextrose group and 40 served as controls. 77.5% of the dextrose group were term babies compared to 72.5% in the control group. 20% of the dextrose group showed a NIPS score ≥6 while 40% in the control group had a similar NIPS score. Conclusions: A total of 80 newborns were included in this study, of which 40 (22 males, 18 females) received 25% oral dextrose solution prior to the BCG vaccine. The group which received dextrose was found to have less indicators of pain such as change in breathing pattern, cry and facial expression.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (25) ◽  
pp. 4112-4118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurent Karila ◽  
Perrine Roux ◽  
Benjamin Rolland ◽  
Amine Benyamina ◽  
Michel Reynaud ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mina G. Nashed ◽  
Daniel B. Hardy ◽  
Steven R. Laviolette

Clinical reports of cannabis use prevalence during pregnancy vary widely from 3% to upwards of 35% in North America; this disparity likely owing to underestimates from self-reporting in many cases. The rise in cannabis use is mirrored by increasing global legalization and the overall perceptions of safety, even during pregnancy. These trends are further compounded by a lack of evidence-based policy and guidelines for prenatal cannabis use, which has led to inconsistent messaging by healthcare providers and medically licensed cannabis dispensaries regarding prenatal cannabis use for treatment of symptoms, such as nausea. Additionally, the use of cannabis to self-medicate depression and anxiety during pregnancy is a growing medical concern. This review aims to summarize recent findings of clinical and preclinical data on neonatal outcomes, as well as long-term physiological and neurodevelopmental outcomes of prenatal cannabis exposure. Although many of the outcomes under investigation have produced mixed results, we consider these data in light of the unique challenges facing cannabis research. In particular, the limited longitudinal clinical studies available have not previously accounted for the exponential increase in (-)-Δ9– tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9–THC; the psychoactive compound in cannabis) concentrations found in cannabis over the past two decades. Polydrug use and the long-term effects of individual cannabis constituents [Δ9–THC vs. cannabidiol (CBD)] are also understudied, along with sex-dependent outcomes. Despite these limitations, prenatal cannabis exposure has been linked to low birth weight, and emerging evidence suggests that prenatal exposure to Δ9–THC, which crosses the placenta and impacts placental development, may have wide-ranging physiological and neurodevelopmental consequences. The long-term effects of these changes require more rigorous investigation, though early reports suggest Δ9–THC increases the risk of cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disease, including psychosis, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. In light of the current trends in the perception and use of cannabis during pregnancy, we emphasize the social and medical imperative for more rigorous investigation of the long-term effects of prenatal cannabis exposure.


Author(s):  
Nadya Y. Rivera Rivera ◽  
Laura McGuinn ◽  
Erika Osorio-Valencia ◽  
Sandra Martinez-Medina ◽  
Lourdes Schnaas ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to examine changes in depression, stress and social support levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in women living in Mexico City. We studied 466 women enrolled in the Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) study who completed the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) questionnaire prior (2018–2019) and during the lockdown period of the pandemic (May–November 2020). Psychosocial stress and social support for both time periods were ascertained using the Crisis in Family Systems (CRISYS) questionnaire and the Social Support Network (SSN) Scale, respectively. Associations between stress, social support and change in EDS score/depression were analyzed using generalized linear models adjusting for covariates. Higher stress (>median) during the pandemic was associated with an increase in EDS score (β: 2.13; 95% CI (1.06, 3.19), p < 0.001), and higher odds of depression (OR: 3.75; 95% CI (2.17, 6.50), p < 0.001), while social support was associated with lower odds of depression (OR: 0.56, 95% CI (0.32, 0.97), p = 0.037). Higher levels of stress during the pandemic were associated with depression. Social support may act as a buffer for the effects of psychosocial stress. Future studies should examine the long-term effects of stress associated with the pandemic on mental and overall health.


2006 ◽  
Vol 185 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerry Jager ◽  
Rene S. Kahn ◽  
Wim Van Den Brink ◽  
Jan M. Van Ree ◽  
Nick F. Ramsey

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Metrik ◽  
Angela K. Stevens ◽  
Rachel L. Gunn ◽  
Brian Borsari ◽  
Kristina M. Jackson

Abstract Background Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most highly co-occurring psychiatric disorder among veterans with cannabis use disorder (CUD). Despite some evidence that cannabis use prospectively exacerbates the course of PTSD, which in turn increases the risk for CUD, the causal nature of the relationship between cannabis and psychiatric comorbidity is debated. The longitudinal relationship between PTSD diagnosis and traumatic intrusion symptoms with cannabis use and CUD was examined using cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) analysis. Methods Prospective data from a longitudinal observational study of 361 veterans deployed post-9/11/2001 included PTSD and CUD diagnoses, cannabis use, and PTSD-related traumatic intrusion symptoms from the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms. Results A random intercept CLPM analysis that leveraged three waves (baseline, 6 months and 12 months) of cannabis use and PTSD-related intrusion symptoms to account for between-person differences found that baseline cannabis use was significantly positively associated with 6-month intrusion symptoms; the converse association was significant but reduced in magnitude (baseline use to 6-month intrusions: β = 0.46, 95% CI 0.155–0.765; baseline intrusions to 6-month use: β = 0.22, 95% CI −0.003 to 0.444). Results from the two-wave CLPM reveal a significant effect from baseline PTSD to 12-month CUD (β = 0.15, 95% CI 0.028–0.272) but not from baseline CUD to 12-month PTSD (β = 0.12, 95% CI −0.022 to 0.262). Conclusions Strong prospective associations capturing within-person changes suggest that cannabis use is linked with greater severity of trauma-related intrusion symptoms over time. A strong person-level directional association between PTSD and CUD was evident. Findings have significant clinical implications for the long-term effects of cannabis use among individuals with PTSD.


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