Behavioral and subjective effects of marijuana following partial sleep deprivation

Anthony Liguori, Catherine P. Gatto, David B. Jarrett, W. Vaughn McCall, Thomas W. Brown

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study tested whether performance would be more impaired when marijuana use followed partial sleep deprivation (PSD) than when marijuana use followed a typical night of sleep. Seven recreational marijuana users (mean 15 of last 30 days) completed six test sessions in a double-blind randomized within-subject design. Each session began with an overnight stay in a sleep laboratory. Bed and wake times were calculated from mean data on individual sleep diaries. Time-in-bed was either regular (mean=8.2 h) or shortened (first 65% of regular time-in-bed deprived). At 3 and 5 h after waking, daytime sleepiness was measured with self-report questionnaires and a sleep latency test. Approximately 6.5 h after waking, subjects smoked a marijuana cigarette (0.003, 2, or 3.5% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]). Test batteries were completed 2, 62, and 122 min after smoking ended. Sleepiness was significantly greater following PSD than after regular sleep. Following regular sleep, heart rate increases with active THC doses were comparable, but heart rate with 2% THC was significantly less elevated following PSD. Ratings of 'impaired' and 'stoned' increased with both THC doses after regular sleep and were further increased with 3.5% THC after PSD. High-potency marijuana increased body sway similarly across sleep conditions. There were no significant effects of marijuana or PSD, alone or in combination, on brake latency. Thus, while PSD increased the dose-dependence of THC effects on heart rate and subjective impairment, it did not enhance the effects of marijuana on standing balance and brake latency.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)233-240
Number of pages8
JournalDrug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume70
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 5 2003
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Automobile driving
  • Body sway
  • Heart rate
  • Marijuana
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Subjective effects

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Toxicology
  • Pharmacology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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