Premium
Rimonabant effects on anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in healthy humans: a preliminary report
Author(s) -
Bergamaschi Mateus M.,
Queiroz Regina H. C.,
Chagas Marcos H. N.,
Linares Ila M. P.,
Arrais Kátia C.,
Oliveira Danielle C. G.,
Queiroz Maria E.,
Nardi Antonio E.,
Huestis Marilyn A.,
Hallak Jaime E. C.,
Zuardi Antonio W.,
Moreira Fabrício A.,
Crippa José A. S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.2374
Subject(s) - rimonabant , anxiogenic , anxiety , placebo , blood pressure , heart rate , endocannabinoid system , inverse agonist , cannabinoid , agonist , psychology , medicine , cannabinoid receptor , anesthesia , anxiolytic , psychiatry , receptor , alternative medicine , pathology
Objective We investigated the hypothesis that rimonabant, a cannabinoid antagonist/inverse agonist, would increase anxiety in healthy subjects during a simulation of the public speaking test. Methods Participants were randomly allocated to receive oral placebo or 90 mg rimonabant in a double‐blind design. Subjective effects were measured by Visual Analogue Mood Scale. Physiological parameters, namely arterial blood pressure and heart rate, also were monitored. Results Twelve participants received oral placebo and 12 received 90 mg rimonabant. Rimonabant increased self‐reported anxiety levels during the anticipatory speech and performance phase compared with placebo. Interestingly, rimonabant did not modulate anxiety prestress and was not associated with sedation, cognitive impairment, discomfort, or blood pressure changes. Conclusions Cannabinoid‐1 antagonism magnifies the responses to an anxiogenic stimulus without interfering with the prestress phase. These data suggest that the endocannabinoid system may work on‐demand to counteract the consequences of anxiogenic stimuli in healthy humans. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.