Cannabidiol Reduces the Anxiety Induced by Simulated Public Speaking in Treatment-Naïve Social Phobia Patients
Bergamaschi et al.·NeuropsychopharmacologyImpact 4.4
Clear benefitGRADEModerate763 citations
Samplen = 24 Pat.
DurationSingle dose, measurement at six…
ControlPlacebo
EndpointVAMS
Blindingdoppelblind
DesignRCT (doppelblind, Placebo-kontrolliert)
Cannabinoidcbd
Max. dose600.0 mg
Routeoral
”Key finding
CBD 600 mg significantly reduced situational anxiety, cognitive impairment and negative self-statements in SAD patients compared to placebo.
Summary
n=24 treatment-naïve patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD), CBD 600 mg vs. placebo before simulated public speaking test. CBD group showed significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort (VAMS, p-values not specified); SSPS-N scores in the CBD group nearly identical to healthy controls (n=12), while the placebo group showed markedly higher anxiety values. Premedication with CBD led to a stress response similar to that of healthy individuals.
P
PopulationTreatment-naïve patients with generalized social anxiety disorder (SAD), n=24 (CBD: n=12, placebo: n=12), additionally healthy controls without medication n=12
I
InterventionSingle dose CBD 600 mg orally, 1,5 h before the Simulated Public Speaking Test (SPST)
C
ControlPlacebo (single dose, double-blind)
O
OutcomeCBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort during the speech as well as alertness in the anticipation phase (VAMS); SSPS-N increase under CBD nearly abolished vs. placebo
Confidence in the evidence
Very lowLowModerateHigh
Moderate
The third of four GRADE levels, the effect estimate is probably reliable.
Downgraded for
Imprecision
Quality profile
Sample size★★★★★
BlindingDouble-blind
Effect sizeClear benefit
Citations / year★★★★★
Authors
Bergamaschi M M, Queiroz R H C, Chagas M H N et al.
Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is one of the most common anxiety conditions with impairment in social life. Cannabidiol (CBD), one major non-psychotomimetic compound of the cannabis sativa plant, has shown anxiolytic effects both in humans and in animals. This preliminary study aimed to compare the effects of a simulation public speaking test (SPST) on healthy control (HC) patients and treatment-naive SAD patients who received a single dose of CBD or placebo. A total of 24 never-treated patients with SAD were allocated to receive either CBD (600 mg; n=12) or placebo (placebo; n=12) in a double-blind randomized design 1 h and a half before the test. The same number of HC (n=12) performed the SPST without receiving any medication. Each volunteer participated in only one experimental session in a double-blind procedure. Subjective ratings on the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS) and Negative Self-Statement scale (SSPS-N) and physiological measures (blood pressure, heart rate, and skin conductance) were measured at six different time points during the SPST. The results were submitted to a repeated-measures analysis of variance. Pretreatment with CBD significantly reduced anxiety, cognitive impairment and discomfort in their speech performance, and significantly decreased alert in their anticipatory speech. The placebo group presented higher anxiety, cognitive impairment, discomfort, and alert levels when compared with the control group as assessed with the VAMS. The SSPS-N scores evidenced significant increases during the testing of placebo group that was almost abolished in the CBD group. No significant differences were observed between CBD and HC in SSPS-N scores or in the cognitive impairment, discomfort, and alert factors of VAMS. The increase in anxiety induced by the SPST on subjects with SAD was reduced with the use of CBD, resulting in a similar response as the HC.