Study on Brain Stimulation Effects on Recognizing Cannabis Use Problems in Adults with Severe Cannabis Use Disorder

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to understand how brain activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex influences the recognition of problems related to cannabis use in people with severe cannabis use disorder. The study tests whether changing neural activity using a non-invasive method called transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS can affect how participants recognize cannabis use-related issues. Researchers will compare three types of theta burst stimulation sham, intermittent, and continuous in each participant to explore these effects. Participants will receive three types of TMS a placebo sham stimulation, an intermittent theta burst stimulation iTBS, and a continuous theta burst stimulation cTBS. The iTBS involves 20 trains of bursts lasting 2 seconds each with short breaks, totaling 192 seconds, while the cTBS consists of a single 40-second burst train. Sham stimulation mimics the sound and sensation of active TMS without affecting brain activity. These sessions are spread across four in-person lab visits. During the study, participants will undergo questionnaires, four brief magnetic resonance imaging MRI scans, three TMS sessions, and three electroencephalogram EEG recordings. Urine samples and saliva or breathalyzer tests will be collected at some visits. Researchers will measure cerebral blood flow in the medial orbitofrontal cortex and brain responses to cannabis-related information to assess changes in problem recognition. The study runs from January 2026 to May 2027 and includes safety screening for MRI and TMS suitability.

Cannabis and Processing Emotions Study