Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40286994›Full record

ArticleBrain, behavior, and immunity2025

Beneficial and adverse effects of THC on cognition in the HIV-1 transgenic rat model: Importance of exploring task- and sex-dependent outcomes.

Samantha M Ayoub, Sunitha Vemuri, Elizabeth B Hoang, Neal A Jha, Arpi Minassian, Jared W Young

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Low-Dose Cannabidiol Treatment does not Alter Cognitive Performance in the HIV-1 Transgenic Rat Model of NeuroHIV.Journal of neuroimmune pharmacology : the official journal of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Samantha M AyoubDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: sayoub@ucsd.edu.
Sunitha VemuriDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: suvemuri@ucsd.edu.
Elizabeth B HoangDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: ehoang@health.ucsd.edu.
Neal A JhaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Electronic address: njha@ucsd.edi.
Arpi MinassianDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA. Electronic address: aminassian@health.ucsd.edu.
Jared W YoungDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA. Electronic address: jaredyoung@ucsd.edu.

Funding

Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship in NeuroAIDSR25MH081482 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MARIANA CHERNER · 2007 to 2026
$5.2M
Translational Studies of Cannabis Administration, Cognition, and the Endocannabinoid System in HIVR01DA051295 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MINASSIAN, ARPI, YOUNG, JARED WILLIAM · 2021 to 2025
$4.3M
NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA051295NIMH NIH HHS R25 MH081482
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment (NCI) is an untreated concern among people living with HIV (PLWH). Cannabis use in PLWH may complicate outcomes on cognition, with evidence to suggest function-dependent effects that are modulated by several factors including use patterns (e.g., frequency of use) and demographic influences (e.g., age). Animal studies can control for these factors. Here, we characterized the impact of the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; THC), on function-dependent cognitive outcomes in HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rats using cross-species translatable assays. Female and male HIV-1Tg rats and their controls were tested in the rat Iowa Gambling Task (IGT; to measure risk-based decision-making), and the Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task (PRLT; to measure learning and cognitive flexibility). Rats were tested at baseline, then retested following acute and chronic exposures to THC (0, 0.3, 3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection). At baseline, HIV-1Tg rats took longer to make decisions, but exhibited intact cognition across tasks, suggestive of a speed-accuracy trade-off and early cognitive deficits. Both acute and chronic THC exposures produced selective effects on primary performance measures in HIV-1Tg rats, including enhanced learning performance but worsened risk-based decision-making, not observed in controls. This work confirms function-dependent effects of THC on cognitive function in an animal model of HIV using cross-species translatable tasks used in the clinic. Findings are consistent with evidence for function-dependent cannabis effects observed in HIV, and suggest THC may drive cannabis-induced changes observed on cognitive performance in PLWH. These data may serve as guidance for clinicians prescribing cannabis to patients with HIV, and for further research exploring the interactive effects of HIV and cannabinoid treatment on cognitive function.

Indexed as

CognitionDronabinolAnimalsDecision MakingDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHIV-1HIV InfectionsMaleRatsRats, TransgenicReversal LearningSex FactorsDronabinolCross-species tasksExecutive functionLearningNeuroHIVPhytocannabinoidResearch domain criteria (RDoC)Risk-takingTranslational

Identifiers

PMID40286994
PMCPMC12598049

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.