Cue Reactivity in Cannabis-Dependent Adolescents

• Published in: Psychology of addictive behaviors 2011-03, Vol.25 (1), p.168-173
• Main Authors: NICKERSON, Lisa D, RAVICHANDRAN, Caitlin, LUNDAHL, Leslie H, RODOLICO, John, DUNLAP, Steven, TRKSAK, George H, LUKAS, Scott E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Attention - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Cannabis; Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology; Craving; Cues; Drug addiction; Drug Dependency; Evoked Potentials - physiology; Female; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Human; Humans; Inpatient; Male; Marijuana Abuse - physiopathology; Marijuana Abuse - psychology; Medical sciences; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Reactivity; Smokers; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0893-164X; 1939-1501
• DOI: 10.1037/a0021117

The authors measured event-related potentials with a craving manipulation to investigate the neural correlates of drug cue reactivity in 13 adolescents who are cannabis dependent (CD; ages 14-17). The P300 responses to marijuana (MJ) pictures (MJ-P300) and control pictures (C-P300) were assessed after handling neutral objects and again after handling MJ paraphernalia (MJP). Self-reported drug craving and heart rates also were measured. MJ-P300 were larger than C-P300 (p < .001), and both the MJ-P300 and craving increased significantly after handling MJP (p = .002 and p = .003, respectively), with no association between the magnitude of craving and MJ-P300. Heart rates were not affected by handling MJP. The results showed that adolescents who are CD have an attentional bias to MJ stimuli that increases after handling marijuana paraphernalia. Generally, the results are consistent with what has been reported for adult heavy chronic cannabis smokers, although there were some differences that require further investigation.