Imaging Cannabinoid Receptors Using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanning

Study Summary

The aim of the present study is to assess the availability of cannabinoid receptors (CB1R) in the human brain. CB1R are present in everyone's brain, regardless of whether or not someone has used cannabis. The investigators will image brain cannabinoid receptors using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging and the radioligand OMAR, in healthy individuals and several conditions including 1) cannabis use disorders, 2) psychotic disorders, 3) prodrome of psychotic illness and 4) individuals with a family history of alcoholism, 5) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 6) Opioid Use Disorder using the PET imaging agent or radiotracer, \[11C\]OMAR. This will allow us to characterize the number and distribution of CB1R in these conditions. It is likely that the list of conditions will be expanded after the collection of pilot data and as new data on cannabinoids receptor function and psychiatric disorders becomes available. Those in the cannabis us disorder arm of the study will have a PET scan on at least three occasions: once while smoking as usual, once after 48-hours of abstinence from cannabis, and a final time after 4 weeks of abstinence. Additional scans may be conducted within the 4 weeks and the last scan may be conducted well beyond 4 weeks. Similarly, while most schizophrenia patients may get scanned just once, a subgroup of patients may get scanned more than once. For example to tease out the effects of medications, unmedicated patients may get scanned while unmedicated and again after treatment with antipsychotic medications. Similarly prodromes may get scanned while in the prodromal stage off medications, on medications and after conversion to schizophrenia.

Primary Outcome

This study will utilize the radioligand \[11C\]OMAR and High Resolution Research Tomography (HRRT) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to measure brain CB1 receptor availability in all study populations. Those in the cannabis dependent population of the study will have PET scanning on three occasions: once within four weeks of screening while smoking as usual, once 48-hours later after remaining abstinent, and once four weeks later after remaining abstinent. The change in receptor density at eac

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• RADIATION [11-C]OMAR

Study Locations (1)