Back to Search
Start Over
Measuring Within-Individual Cannabis Reduction in Clinical Trials: a Review of the Methodological Challenges
- Source :
- Curr Addict Rep
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2019.
-
Abstract
- PURPOSE: Cannabis abstinence traditionally is the primary outcome in cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment trials. Due to the changing legality of cannabis, patient goals, and preliminary evidence that suggests individuals who reduce their cannabis use may show functional improvements, cannabis reduction is a desirable alternative outcome in CUD trials. We review challenges in measuring cannabis reduction and the evidence to support various definitions of reduction. FINDINGS: Reduction in number of cannabis use days was associated with improvements in functioning across several studies. Reductions in quantity of cannabis used was inconsistently associated with improvements in functioning, though definitions of quantity varied across studies. Different biomarkers may be used depending on the reduction outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Biologically-confirmed reductions in frequency of cannabis use days may represent a viable endpoint in clinical trials for cannabis use disorder. Additional research is needed to better quantify reduction in cannabis amounts.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
media_common.quotation_subject
Article
law.invention
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Primary outcome
Randomized controlled trial
law
Medicine
Psychiatry
media_common
Cannabis use disorder
Harm reduction
biology
business.industry
Cannabis use
Abstinence
medicine.disease
biology.organism_classification
030227 psychiatry
Clinical trial
Psychiatry and Mental health
Clinical Psychology
Cannabis
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 21962952
- Volume :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Current Addiction Reports
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0d160e05d8fdcbdd0c9ffee7c7adfded