Citicoline Treatment Improves Measures of Impulsivity and Task Performance in Chronic Marijuana Smokers: A Pilot BOLD fMRI Study

Abstract

Objective-Citicoline is an endogenous nucleotide that has historically been used to treat stroke, traumatic brain injury, and cognitive dysfunction. Research has also shown that citicoline treatment is associated with improved cognitive performance in substance-abusing populations. We hypothesized that marijuana (MJ) smokers who received citicoline would demonstrate improvement in cognitive performance as well as increased neural efficiency during tasks of cognitive control relative to those who received placebo.Method-The current study tested this hypothesis by examining the effects of citicoline in treatment-seeking chronic MJ smokers. In an 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 19 MJ smokers were randomly assigned via a double-blind procedure to the citicoline (8 Males, 2 Females) or placebo group (9 Males, 0 Females). All participants completed fMRI scanning at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment during two cognitive measures of inhibitory processing, the Multi Source Interference Test (MSIT) and Stroop Color Word Test, and also completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), a self-report measure of impulsivity.Results-Following the 8 week trial, MJ smokers treated with citicoline demonstrated significantly lower levels of behavioral impulsivity, improved task accuracy on both the MSIT and Stroop tasks, and exhibited significantly different patterns of brain activation relative to baseline levels and relative to those who received placebo.Conclusions-Findings suggest that citicoline may facilitate the treatment of MJ use disorders by improving the cognitive skills necessary to fully engage in comprehensive treatment programs.This is an open

Citicoline Improves Human Vigilance and Visual Working Memory: The Role of Neuronal Activation and Oxidative Stress

“…The gender distinction in verbal skills is variable according to the stressful factors and skill types ( Hyde, 2016 ). Moreover, Gruber et al reported that citicoline therapy for 4 weeks improved memory and cognitive functions in subjects with poor logic memory and inefficient mental performances in both sexes equally ( Gruber et al, 2015 ). These findings give a clue that citicoline improved psychomotor performances and working memory of the studied subjects in the present study regardless of gender difference.…”

Omega-3 Supplementation and the Neural Correlates of Negative Affect and Impulsivity: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Midlife Adults

“…Additionally, the concept of impulsivity could be seen as trait rather than state. Therefore, it could be argued that one cannot directly reduce impulsivity 73-74 . However, recent short-term interventions have shown that certain interventions are able to reduce impulsivity.…”

Citicolina: revisión farmacológica y clínica, actualización 2022

“…But Licata et al [ 759 ] reported that citicoline is not an effective treatment reducing craving for heavy cocaine users. Also have been reported positive effects in patients with mood disorders related with the use of cocaine [ 760 , 761 ], antidepressant properties in methamphetamine dependence [ 762 ], and a role facilitating the treatment of marijuana use disorders by improving the cognitive skills necessary to fully engage in comprehensive treatment programs [ 763 ]. There is a clear implication of the cerebral metabolism in the drug addiction pathophysiology [ 764 , 765 ].…”

“…Pero Licata et al [ 759 ] han comunicado que la citicolina no es eficaz en reducir el consumo en consumidores empedernidos. También se han comunicado efectos positivos en pacientes con problemas bipolares asociados al uso de cocaína [ 760 , 761 ], efectos antidepresivos en adictos a la metanfetamina [ 762 ] y efectos procognitivos en adictos a la marihuana [ 763 ]. Cada vez parece más evidente la implicación del metabolismo cerebral en los procesos de drogadicción [ 764 , 765 ], y es de especial interés el uso de técnicas de neuroimagen para el estudio de estos trastornos [ 766 ].…”