MARIJUANA EFFECTS ON BASIC BEHAVIORAL MECHANISMS

本申请寻求实现两个广泛目标：（a） 采用实验室程序来研究 大麻（即，-9 THC）对人类受试者基本行为机制的影响;以及 (b)扩展这些方法论策略， 使用大麻的青少年（15-18岁）的潜在残留影响 慢性的为此，详细说明了申请的具体目标 下面在过去的十年里，美国的海洋生物使用迅速增加， 在青少年中非常普遍大量吸食大麻 有许多临床相关的结果，包括学习和记忆， 赤字、辍学和失业。生物和行为 影响这些有害结果的机制（既影响 个人和社区）尚未得到很好的理解。的初步数据 我们的实验室和最近的神经科学研究表明， 可能涉及到财产。因此，本研究将调查 大麻对基本强化过程的影响，无论是在成年人中， 在长期使用的青少年中残留。提出了五项研究，重点是 大麻对（a）对奖励的敏感性，（B）动机过程， 以及（c）行为改变和抑制。行为科学已经证明 对适应行为很重要的变量。这些项目将衡量 在三个剂量水平上对成年人的急性大麻效应，并提供 大量使用大麻的青少年的模拟测量（通过 尿大麻素水平和自我报告）。实验将采用 实验室程序，利用选择范式与历史 很好理解和明确定义的参数。总体而言，这些研究 旨在帮助阐明大麻对基础学习的影响 机制，以及大麻在社会有害的病因学中的作用 行为

This application seeks to achieve two broad objectives: (a) to employ laboratory-based procedures to investigate the acute effects of marijuana (i.e., -9 THC) on basic behavioral mechanisms in human subjects; and (b) to extend these methodological strategies in order to characterize potential residual effects in adolescents (15-18 years old) who use marijuana chronically. To that end, the specific aims of the application are detailed below. Marijuana use in the US has increased rapidly over the past decade, and is exceedingly prevalent among adolescents. Heavy marijuana use is associated with a number of clinically relevant outcomes, including learning and memory deficits, dropping out of school, and unemployment. The biological and behavior mechanisms that influence these detrimental outcomes (which effect both individuals and communities) are not yet well understood. Preliminary data from our laboratory and recent neuroscience studies suggest that basic reinforcement properties may be involved. Accordingly, the present studies will investigate marijuana effects on basic reinforcement processes, both acutely in adults and residually in chronic-using adolescents. Five studies are proposed, focused on marijuana effects on (a) sensitivity to rewards, (b) motivational processes, and (c) behavioral change and inhibition. Behavioral science has shown these variables to be important for adaptive behavior. The projects will measure acute marijuana effects in adult humans across three dose levels, and provide analogue measurement of adolescents with heavy marijuana use (measured by urinary cannabinoid levels and self-reports). The experiments will employ laboratory procedures that utilize choice paradigms with historically well-understood and clearly defined parameters. Collectively, these studies are designed to help elucidate the effects of marijuana on basic learning mechanisms, and the role of marijuana in the etiology of socially detrimental behavior.