Abstract
To assess: (1) the acute effects of smoked marijuana (MJ) on negative attentional bias (NAB), (2) moderation of these effects by positive versus neutral alternatives, and (3) the associations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced changes in NAB with changes in affect. Fourteen MJ users (1-4 uses/wk) smoked a THC cigarette on 1day and a placebo cigarette on the other counterbalanced day. After smoking, participants freely gazed back and forth at a series of two side-by-side pictures pairs presented for 3000ms (one negative, while the other was either positive or neutral) while eye gaze was tracked. The effects of THC relative to placebo varied across time such that THC increased NAB during the early temporal component of threatening picture viewing, 333-858ms after dual-picture onset, regardless of alternative picture valance. However, contrary to the attentional bias-causes affect hypothesis, during the early viewing phase THC-enhanced positive affect (PA)correlated positively with THC-induced NAB. In contrast, during the late phase (891-3000ms) THC-enhanced PA did not correlate significantly with NAB, though THC-induced negative affect (NA) change did correlate positively with THC-induced change in NAB in the positive alternative condition. We replicated findings of others showing that THC can enhance NAB during the early stages of threatening picture viewing. We extended previous results by demonstrating the THC-induced NAB is associated with increased PA during initial threat viewing, but with increased NA during later processing if positive alternatives are present.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.