RECRUITING

Cannabis Use, Cognition, and the Endocannabinoid System in HIV

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

Understanding how co-morbidities in persons with HIV (PWH) such as substance use affect risk-taking, decision-making, and other cognitive behaviors is important given implications for everyday functioning and transmission risk. The high prevalence of cannabis use in PWH, medicinally and recreationally, may indicate disease severity, impart therapeutic benefits, or adverse consequences. In fact, cannabis is recommended to those with HIV to alleviate nausea, improve appetite, relieve pain, and lift mood. To-date, the consequences of cannabis use in PWH remain unclear as do potential interactions with HIV treatments. In healthy participants, heavy cannabis use is associated with cognitive deficits e.g., risky decision-making, response disinhibition and inattention, but pro-cognitive effects in PWH may exist at mild use levels due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-excitotoxic properties. Furthermore, little has been done to determine the effects of cannabis use on the endocannabinoid (EC) system in general or in PWH. This study will determine the effects of the two primary cannabis constituents (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol \[THC\], cannabidiol \[CBD\]) vs. placebo on risky decision-making, response inhibition, reward learning, temporal perception, and motivation, plus EC and homovanillic acid (HVA; a surrogate for dopamine activity) levels in HIV+ and HIV- subjects. Participants with infrequent cannabis use will undergo baseline cognitive testing and biomarker assays with antiretrovirals (ART) use quantified. They will be randomized to a 5-day course of either THC, CBD, or placebo and return for follow-up testing and re-assaying of ECs and HVA levels.

Official Title

Cannabis Use, Cognition, and the Endocannabinoid System in HIV

Quick Facts

Study Start:2023-05-03
Study Completion:2026-01-31
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT04883255

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:Yes
Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. Age 18 years or older
  2. Willing and able to provide informed consent
  3. Able to understand and follow study procedures
  4. Stable medical condition
  1. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  2. Severe psychiatric disorders
  3. Active substance abuse
  4. Unstable medical conditions
  5. Inability to comply with study requirements

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Crossby Vargas
CONTACT
619-543-5000
hnrprecruitment@ucsd.edu

Principal Investigator

Arpi Minassian, Ph.D.
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
UC San Diego

Study Locations (Sites)

UC San Diego Medical Center-Hillcrest
San Diego, California, 92103-8620
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: University of California, San Diego

  • Arpi Minassian, Ph.D., PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, UC San Diego

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2023-05-03
Study Completion Date2026-01-31

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2023-05-03
Study Completion Date2026-01-31

Terms related to this study

Keywords Provided by Researchers

  • cannabis
  • HIV
  • THC
  • cannabidiol

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • HIV-1-infection