Effects of cannabidiol on risky decision-making and autonomic function in alcohol use disorder

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Aims To examine the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on psychophysiological responding and risky decision-making in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 18 participants with AUD completed the Columbia Card Task (CCT) following administration of CBD and placebo. Skin conductance responses (SCR) and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) were assessed as indices of autonomic responding during task performance. Risk-taking was indexed by the number of cards selected on the CCT. Results CBD did not significantly affect SCR (P = .16, pBH = .326) or risky decision-making on the CCT (P > .63, pBH = 0.67). However, CBD significantly increased HF-HRV (β = 0.53, SE = 0.19, P = .005; pBH = 0.020). There was no evidence that the relationships between HF-HRV or SCR and risky decision-making differed between CBD and placebo conditions (drug × HF-HRV: P = .92; drug × SCR: P = .958; both pBH = .958). Discussion CBD increased HF-HRV but did not significantly alter SCR, risky decision-making, or the relationship between autonomic responses and risky decision-making. These findings suggest that CBD influences autonomic responding during task performance, although the functional significance of this effect remains uncertain. The modest sample size and relatively healthy, non-treatment-seeking sample may have limited the ability to detect broader physiological and behavioural effects.