Grant: Project Grant

Anxiety and related psychiatric issues are often comorbid with many inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, although the mechanisms of this inflammation-related anxiety are not well understood and there is currently no primary therapeutic approach that manages these symptoms. Many individuals with inflammatory diseases claim benefit, particularly in the domain of mood and anxiety issues, from the use of cannabis. Cannabis exerts its effects through activation of the "endocannabinoid" system in the brain. This grant proposes to investigate if the development of anxiety associated with peripheral inflammation involves a change in endocannabinoid function, and if elevating endocannabinoids could be a suitable strategy to treat these comorbid issues associated with inflammation.