THC Disrupted the Brain's Ability to Filter Sensory Information in Both Humans and Rats
THC disrupted sensory gating and theta-band brain oscillations in both human volunteers and rats through CB1 receptor activation, with CBD failing to block these effects when co-administered.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Both THC and THC+CBD disrupted P50 sensory gating in humans and reduced evoked theta and gamma oscillations. In rats, the CB1R agonist CP-55940 disrupted gating in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, effects reversed by the CB1R antagonist AM-251. Theta oscillation reductions correlated with gating impairment in humans.
Key Numbers
15 human subjects, 4 conditions. THC disrupted P50 gating ratio significantly. THC-induced theta power reduction correlated with gating impairment (r = -0.629, p < 0.012). CBD did not block THC's effects.
How They Did This
Translational study: 15 human subjects received IV THC, CBD, THC+CBD, or placebo in a crossover design with EEG recording. Separately, 6 rats received a CB1R agonist, CB1R agonist+antagonist, or vehicle with local field potential recording from hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.
Why This Research Matters
Sensory gating - the brain's ability to filter out redundant stimuli - is impaired in schizophrenia. This study shows THC disrupts the same process through CB1 receptors, providing a mechanistic link between cannabis use and psychosis-like symptoms.
The Bigger Picture
The convergent human and animal findings strengthen the evidence that CB1 receptor activation disrupts fundamental information processing in ways relevant to psychosis. The failure of CBD to protect against these effects is also notable.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample sizes (15 humans, 6 rats). Acute dosing only. The rat CB1R agonist (CP-55940) differs pharmacologically from THC. CBD may need different dosing to show protective effects.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would chronic cannabis use produce lasting sensory gating deficits?
- ?Could higher CBD doses counteract THC's gating effects?
- ?Do individuals with pre-existing gating deficits experience greater THC effects?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- THC-induced reduction in theta oscillations correlated with impaired sensory gating (r = -0.629), and CBD co-administration did not block these effects.
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate - strong translational design with convergent human/animal findings, but small sample sizes.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2018.
- Original Title:
- Cannabinoid receptor-mediated disruption of sensory gating and neural oscillations: A translational study in rats and humans.
- Published In:
- Neuropharmacology, 135, 412-423 (2018)
- Authors:
- Skosnik, Patrick D(6), Hajós, Mihály, Cortes-Briones, Jose A(5), Edwards, Chad R, Pittman, Brian P, Hoffmann, William E, Sewell, Andrew R, D'Souza, Deepak C, Ranganathan, Mohini
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01838
Evidence Hierarchy
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or placebo groups to test cause and effect.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How does THC affect how the brain processes information?
THC disrupted "sensory gating" - the brain's ability to filter out repeated stimuli - by altering theta-band oscillations through CB1 receptor activation. This was confirmed in both human EEG and rat brain recordings.
Does CBD protect against THC's brain effects?
In this study, CBD did not prevent THC's disruption of sensory gating when the two were co-administered, suggesting CBD may not protect against all of THC's cognitive effects.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01838APA
Skosnik, Patrick D; Hajós, Mihály; Cortes-Briones, Jose A; Edwards, Chad R; Pittman, Brian P; Hoffmann, William E; Sewell, Andrew R; D'Souza, Deepak C; Ranganathan, Mohini. (2018). Cannabinoid receptor-mediated disruption of sensory gating and neural oscillations: A translational study in rats and humans.. Neuropharmacology, 135, 412-423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.036
MLA
Skosnik, Patrick D, et al. "Cannabinoid receptor-mediated disruption of sensory gating and neural oscillations: A translational study in rats and humans.." Neuropharmacology, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.036
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabinoid receptor-mediated disruption of sensory gating a..." RTHC-01838. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/skosnik-2018-cannabinoid-receptormediated-disruption-of
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.