Ethanol and marihuana effects on event-related potentials in a memory retrieval paradigm

Twelve men performed the Sternberg memory retrieval task under three experimental conditions: after oral doses of marihuana extract calibrated to contain 0.7 mg/kg delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 1.0 ml/kg 95% ethanol, or placebo. Simultaneously, the EEG was recorded from Ca to linked ears and the EOG from leads above and below the right eye. In this task, subjects saw a set of 1 to 4 digits follwed by a warning tone that was followed 1.5 sec later by a test digit. Subjects indicated by pressing one of two buttons whether the test digit was in-set or out-of-the-set. There were no drug effects on N1 in the evoked potential to the warning tone, but P3 amplitude was smaller under THC and ethanol than under placebo. CNV amplitude in the interval between the warning tone and the test digit showed no drug effects, indicating that the subject was equally prepared for the test digit regardless of drug received. However, the latency of 50% resolution of the CNV was longer under THC than under placebo. THC also increased the reaction time for each set size by about 75 msec above the values for ethanol and placebo, the latter two not differing significantly. Set size affected N1 and P3 amplitudes and latencies and CNV amplitude, as well as 50% CNV resolution latency and reaction time, but there were no drug chi set size interactions.