Activating CB1 receptors in rats disrupted the synchronization between the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, causing them to misjudge timing on a behavioral task.
Neuroscientists, cannabis researchers, and those interested in time perception.
CB1 activation caused rats to overshoot 10-second timing intervals
What the researchers found
CB1 receptor activation in the medial entorhinal cortex reduced gamma amplitude synchronization and theta-gamma coupling between the hippocampal CA1 region and MEC. This desynchronization was associated with rats overestimating time intervals on a task requiring precise 10-second timing.
Why it matters
Time distortion is one of the most commonly reported effects of cannabis. This study identifies a specific neural mechanism: cannabis disrupts the communication between two brain regions critical for timing.
The numbers in context
CB1 activation shifted interresponse times toward 12.4-14 seconds (overshooting the required 10-second delay); decreased gamma synchronization and theta-gamma coupling between CA1 and MEC.
How the study worked
Animal study recording local field potentials in hippocampal CA1 and medial entorhinal cortex of rats performing a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) 10-second task, with and without CB1 receptor agonist.
What this study cannot tell us
Animal study; used a selective CB1 agonist rather than THC; task timing is simplified compared to human time perception; LFP recordings provide population-level, not single-neuron, data.
How to read the evidence
Preliminary: animal study with electrophysiology; provides mechanistic insight but cannot directly translate to human experience.
When this study was published
Published 2020.
The bigger picture
Cannabis users often report that time seems to slow down. This study provides a neurophysiological explanation: THC-like compounds disrupt the oscillatory communication between brain regions that encode temporal information.
Questions still open
- Do different cannabinoids (THC vs CBD) have different effects on timing circuits? Could this mechanism explain cannabis-related driving impairment?
Common questions
Why does cannabis make time feel slower?
Which brain regions are involved?
Read the original research
Activation of cannabinoid type 1 receptors decreases the synchronization of local field potential oscillations in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex and prolongs the interresponse time during a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate task.
The European journal of neuroscience, 52(10), 4249-4266
Citation
Liao, Wan-Ting; Chang, Chao-Lin; Hsiao, Yi-Tse. (2020). Activation of cannabinoid type 1 receptors decreases the synchronization of local field potential oscillations in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex and prolongs the interresponse time during a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate task.. The European journal of neuroscience, 52(10), 4249-4266. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.14856
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