Cannabis and HIV: brain health under the microscope
NCT ID NCT05430490
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This completed study looked at how regular cannabis use affects brain health and thinking skills in people with HIV and those without. Researchers used brain scans, blood and spinal fluid tests, and thinking tasks to compare 276 participants. The goal was to understand the combined effects of HIV and cannabis on the brain, which could help guide future treatments.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could point toward ways to protect brain health in people with HIV who use cannabis.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It cannot prove cause and effect, and results may not apply to everyone.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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276 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2022
- Finished
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Mar 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
A total of 160 PLWH (80 regular cannabis users and 80 non-users) and 160 demographically similar healthy HIV- controls (80 regular cannabis users and 80 non-users) may undergo multimodal neuroimaging, immunophenotyping (including blood and cerebrospinal fluid), and neuropsychological testing to address the specific aims.
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must be 18-70 years old. 2. PLWH must have documented HIV infection for approximately 1 year, be on a cART regimen for approximately ≥3 months, and be virally well-controlled (\< 200 copies/mL). 3. HIV- controls must have confirmed HIV- serostatus. 4. Participants must complete at least 9 years of education. 5. Participants must be able to provide informed consent. 6. Female participants must have a negative pregnancy test or written documentation of tubal ligation, hysterectomy, post-menopausal status, etc. and cannot be breastfeeding. 7. Participants should have no contraindications to an MRI scan. 8. Participants should be willing to have cannabis use history confirmed via clinical interview and urine analysis . 9. All inclusion criteria at PI discretion. Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of neurological disorder (e.g., stroke, head injury with loss of consciousness for \>5 minutes, developmental learning disability, etc.). 2. Uncontrolled major affective disorder; history of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Major depression controlled with no hospitalizations or suicidal ideation in the past year is allowed. 3. Current substance use disorder (SUD) as defined by DSM-5 criteria besides cannabis use disorder (CUD) (though a past SUD \> 1 year before the time of study enrolment will be allowed). 4. currently prescribed anti-coagulants (only exclusionary if participant will engage in optional LP). 5. an allergy to lidocaine or similar anesthetic (only exclusionary if participant will engage in optional LP). 6. a history of a bleeding disorder (only exclusionary if participant will engage in optional LP). 7. claustrophobia or a pacemaker that would prevent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. 8. all exclusion criteria at PI discretion.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Rutgers University
Newark, New Jersey, 08901, United States
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Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States
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