Rationale: The researchers wanted to explore how THC and CBD influence the brain’s response to music. Listening to music is a common rewarding activity for cannabis consumers; however, research shows that cannabis can increase functional disconnectivity in reward- and emotion-sensitive brain areas during music listening.
Method: Participants: 16 cannabis users participated in three sessions. Design & Groups: Three different treatments (THC, THC+CBD, and Placebo) were tested a week apart while listening to music. Musical Conditions: Classical and scrambled. fMRI scans: These allowed researchers to measure changes in brain activity while participants listened to music. Assessment: Drugs were administered in filled balloons under researchers’ supervision.
Results: Cannabis containing only THC reduced neural activation in reward and emotion brain regions; yet cannabis did not affect ratings of pleasure from listening to music.
Freeman, T. P., Pope, R. A., Wall, M. B., Bisby, J. A., Luijten, M., Hindocha, C., Mokrysz, C., Lawn, W., Moss, A., Bloomfield, M. A. P., Morgan, C. J. A., Nutt, D. J., & Curran, H. V. (2018). Cannabis Dampens the Effects of Music in Brain Regions Sensitive to Reward and Emotion. The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 21(1), 21–32.
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