Anxiety and FearEarly Phase 1NCT05283382
Cannabidiol Effects on Learning and Anxiety
A Early Phase 1 study testing Cannabidiol Oral Product in people with Anxiety and Fear, run by University of Connecticut at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
To examine the extent to which Cannabidiol (CBD) enhances fear conditioning extinction in college undergraduates who show elevated social anxiety. Undergraduates who display elevated social anxiety on standard assessments will be recruited at the University of Connecticut. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety and Fear
- What is being tested?
- Cannabidiol Oral Product
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 160 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 30 Oct 2024to Feb 2027
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 50 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 18-50 years of age
Who cannot join
- Difficulties seeing a computer screen
- Anyone currently taking CBD within the last 24 hours.
- Anyone using any cannabis product within the last 24 hours.
- Heart problems or heart disease
- A neurological disorder such as epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumor, vascular malformations, aneurysm
- Are currently pregnant or breast-feeding
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut, 06269-1020
Robert Astur, 203-236-9938, robert.astur@uconn.edu
About this study
To examine the extent to which Cannabidiol (CBD) enhances fear conditioning extinction in college undergraduates who show elevated social anxiety. Undergraduates who display elevated social anxiety on standard assessments will be recruited at the University of Connecticut. All participants will be put in a standard fear conditioning paradigm where they are conditioned to fear a face that occasionally is followed by a shock to their wrist. The other face never is paired with a shock. After everybody learns this, half of the participants will receive 600 mg CBD Isolate Gel Capsules one time, and the other half will receive a placebo dose. Participants will then be presented with the faces with no shocks, and the rate and duration of extinction as measured by electrodermal response as well as subjective fear ratings via a visual analogue scale will be examined. It is hypothesized that participants that receive CBD will display enhanced extinction compared to the placebo group, as evidenced by reduced electrodermal response and reduced visual analogue fear ratings.
- Conditions
- Anxiety and Fear
- Being tested
- Cannabidiol Oral Product, Placebo
- Keywords
- social anxiety, fear conditioning, cannabidiol, electrodermal response
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cannabidiol Oral ProductDrug
Participants will receive a one-time dose of 600 mg Cannabidiol Isolate Gel Capsules in the form of six 100mg capsules.
PlaceboOther
Participants will receive a one-time dose of placebo capsules in the form of six capsules.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol | Experimental | 600 mg Cannabidiol Isolate Gel Capsules / participant. One-time dose. Receives: Drug: Cannabidiol Oral Product |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Same number of placebo capsules / participant. One-time dose. Receives: Other: Placebo |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Electrodermal activity
Electrodermal response as measured by galvanic skin response electrodes that are attached to two of the fingers via sticker electrodes. These passively measure the conductance of the sweat glands on the fingers.
Measured: 20 minutes
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Mar 2022
- Study start30 Oct 2024
- Primary completion30 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionFeb 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Anxiety and FearStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Model description
- Drug group vs. Placebo group
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Connecticut
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Robert Astur, University of Connecticut
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05283382
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H21-0159
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Feb 2022
- Last updated
- 29 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- Yes
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Cannabidiol Effects on Learning and Anxiety
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05283382
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- H21-0159
- Conditions
- Anxiety and Fear
- Keywords
- social anxiety, fear conditioning, cannabidiol, electrodermal response
- Phase
- Early Phase 1
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ConnecticutUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Feb 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 17 Mar 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
To examine the extent to which Cannabidiol (CBD) enhances fear conditioning extinction in college undergraduates who show elevated social anxiety. Undergraduates who display elevated social anxiety on standard assessments will be recruited at the University of Connecticut. All participants will be put in a standard fear conditioning paradigm where they are conditioned to fear a face that occasionally is followed by a shock to their wrist. The other face never is paired with a shock. After everybody learns this, half of the participants will receive 600 mg CBD Isolate Gel Capsules one time, and the other half will receive a placebo dose. Participants will then be presented with the faces with no shocks, and the rate and duration of extinction as measured by electrodermal response as well as subjective fear ratings via a visual analogue scale will be examined. It is hypothesized that participants that receive CBD will display enhanced extinction compared to the placebo group, as evidenced by reduced electrodermal response and reduced visual analogue fear ratings.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Drug group vs. Placebo group
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol | Experimental | Drug: Cannabidiol Oral Product600 mg Cannabidiol Isolate Gel Capsules / participant. One-time dose. |
| Placebo | Placebo comparator | Other: PlaceboSame number of placebo capsules / participant. One-time dose. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 18-50 years of age
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Difficulties seeing a computer screen
- Anyone currently taking CBD within the last 24 hours.
- Anyone using any cannabis product within the last 24 hours.
- Heart problems or heart disease
- A neurological disorder such as epilepsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumor, vascular malformations, aneurysm
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol Oral ProductParticipants will receive a one-time dose of 600 mg Cannabidiol Isolate Gel Capsules in the form of six 100mg capsules. | Drug | Cannabidiol |
| PlaceboParticipants will receive a one-time dose of placebo capsules in the form of six capsules. | Other | Placebo |
Primary outcome
Electrodermal activity
Time frame: 20 minutes
Electrodermal response as measured by galvanic skin response electrodes that are attached to two of the fingers via sticker electrodes. These passively measure the conductance of the sweat glands on the fingers.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Early Phase 1 study testing Cannabidiol Oral Product in people with Anxiety and Fear, run by University of Connecticut at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Early Phase 1 (sometimes called Phase 0) studies give a very small amount of a treatment to a few people, mainly to see how the body handles it.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Robert Astur, PhD (2032369938, robert.astur@uconn.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Electrodermal activity (time frame: 20 minutes). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Apr 2026.