Cannabinoids are a promising method for pharmacological treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite considerable research devoted to the effect of cannabinoid modulation on PTSD symptomology, there is not a currently agreed way by which the cannabinoid system should be targeted in humans. In this review, we present an overview of recent research identifying neurological pathways by which different cannabinoid-based treatments may exert their effects on PTSD symptomology. We evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each of these different approaches, including recent challenges presented to favourable options such as fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors. This article makes the strengths and challenges of different potential cannabinoid treatments accessible to psychological researchers interested in cannabinoid therapeutics and aims to aid selection of appropriate tools for future clinical trials.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	endocannabinoids, posttraumatic stress disorder, translational medical research, cannabis, sychiatric disorders, traumatic stress, cannabinoids,PTSD
Research Division:	Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
Research Group:	Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
Research Field:	Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health)
Objective Field:	Substance Abuse
UTAS Author:	Ney, LJ (Mr Luke Ney)
UTAS Author:	Matthews, AJ (Dr Allison Matthews)
UTAS Author:	Bruno, R (Associate Professor Raimondo Bruno)
ID Code:	132586
Year Published:	2019
Web of Science® Times Cited:	5
Deposited By:	Psychology
Deposited On:	2019-05-14
Last Modified:	2019-07-31
Downloads:	0