An observational study in Addiction, sponsored by Assiut University. Completed at 1 site in Egypt. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-01-25.
Sponsored by Assiut University · Observational
cannabis addiction is a major health hazard that has its effect on personality and behavior including the impulsivity and emotional regulation. It also has its effect on both the structure and function of different brain regions involved in brain reward system.
the aim of the study is to study the emotional regulation and impulsivity among people with cannabis addiction studying the change in the volume of brain reward system structures' volume in relation to cannabis addiction and the change in the mentioned behavioral traits.
Introduction:
Cannabis sativa is a widely used drug comprising a broad spectrum of usage ranging from recreational users to chronic addicts.
Dependence on cannabis is considered a major global health related issue. Cannabis is still considered the most used psychoactive substance worldwide with an estimated 2.8-5.1 % of global adult population has used cannabis in 2019.
Epidemiological studies show that cannabis is the leading drug of abuse in Egypt and in Upper Egypt. Prevalence of cannabis dependence is estimated to be 7.4% in Egypt and 6.66 % in Upper Egypt.
Cannabis dependence is associated with multiple neurobehavioral abnormalities which can be considered as a psychological determinants of cannabis dependence .
There is an increasing evidence of association between emotional dysregulation and dependence on different substances of abuse. Such dysregulation affects both components of emotional regulation; reappraisal and suppression of emotions' expression. The pattern of this dysregulation differs according to the type of substance of dependence and can affect the pattern of substance abuse.
Impulsivity is a proposed endophenotype for substance dependence as well as a possible consequence of prolonged drug use. Drugs of addiction and subconscious craving are likely to increase impulsiveness due to the loss of frontal cortical inhibition of impulses and increased limbic drive. Cannabis use may lead to a loss of attention, reflection and inhibitory control.
Materials and Methods:
This cross-sectional study ran between at the addiction management unit, Assiut University, Egypt. Two groups of participants were recruited in the study: Group (A): 32 patients with cannabis used disorder diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria recruited from the addiction outpatient clinic at the Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry at Assiut University. Group (B): 34 healthy individuals as a cross matching control group.
Inclusion criteria were age above 18 years, current chronic cannabis dependence. Exclusion criteria were being in withdrawal state, other psychiatric disorders, and history or current neurological or medical disease.
Ethical considerations:
A signed, informed consent was obtained from patients and their families or caregivers to participate in the study. Confidentiality was maintained during the whole study.
Assessment tools:
All participants were first assessed through a semi-structured interview using the Structured clinical interviews for axis I diagnosis (SCID-I) to rule out any psychiatric comorbidities.
Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ): A 10-item scale designed to measure respondents' tendency to regulate their emotions in two ways: (1) Cognitive Reappraisal and (2) Expressive Suppression. Respondents answer each item on a 7-point Likert-type scale.
UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale- Short form: The UPPS-P impulsivity scale is a 20-item scale designed to assess five distinct personality traits to impulsive behavior: Negative Urgency, Lack of Perseverance, Lack of Premeditation, Positive Urgency and Sensation Seeking.
Magnetic resonance imaging examination:
The MR examination of brain was done using 1.5T MR scanner (Achieva, Philips Medical Systems, The Netherlands) with a 16 channel head coil without using any sedation.
545 studies on the registry are indexed under Emotional Regulation; 188 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 66 is below the median of 100 across 41 observational studies indexed under Emotional Regulation.
Browse Emotional Regulation studies →Assiut University is the lead sponsor of 5,078 studies on the registry; 2,178 are open to participants now.
Of its 14 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 0 (0%) have results posted.
Compared within Emotional Regulation, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Behavior, Addictive. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
66 participants with cannabis use disorder diagnosed by DSM-5 criteria were recruited from addiction unit at Assiut University hospitals
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
patients with cannabis use disorder
Diagnostic Test: MRI brain
1. Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ): A 10-item scale designed to measure respondents' tendency to regulate their emotions in two ways: (1) Cognitive Reappraisal and (2) Expressive Suppression. Respondents answer each item on a 7-point Likert-type scale . UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale- Short form: The UPPS-P impulsivity scale is a 20-item scale designed to assess five distinct personality traits to impulsive behavior: Negative Urgency, Lack of Perseverance, Lack of Premeditation, Positive Urgency and Sensation Seeking . Magnetic resonance imaging examination: The MR examination of brain was done using 1.5T MR scanner (Achieva, Philips Medical Systems, The Netherlands) with a 16 channel head coil without using any sedation.
Also known as: Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, structured clinical interview
degree of impulsivity in addicts
the UPPS-P scale was used to measure the degree of impulsivity. it is a 20-item scale designed to assess five distinct personality traits to impulsive behavior: Negative Urgency, Lack of Perseverance, Lack of Premeditation, Positive Urgency and Sensation Seeking
Time frame: 7 months
measuring the volume of prefrontal cortex in addicts
MRI brain with voxel based morphometry was used in measuring the volume of different brain regions involved in the brain reward system
Time frame: 7 months
Plan to share: No
Ran from Mar 2021 to primary completion in Sep 2021, 6 months.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2022. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.