Hair endocannabinoids predict physiological fear conditioning and salivary endocannabinoids predict subjective stress reactivity in humans
Observational studyHumans
- Design
- Observational study
- Subjects
- 99 healthy participants
- Dose used in the study
- Not applicable; palmitoylethanolamide was measured in hair and saliva, not given
- Duration
- Not stated in the abstract
- What was measured
- Hair and salivary endocannabinoids, subjective, physiological and cortisol responses to a trauma film, and fear conditioning, extinction and renewal
What the authors reported
Salivary endocannabinoids predicted subjective stress responses but not cortisol reactivity. Hair 2-AG was linked to better retention of safety learning during extinction and renewal, while hair OEA and PEA were linked to overall physiological arousal during fear conditioning but not conditional learning. A sex difference in hair and salivary endocannabinoids was replicated.
Limits of this study
An observational study in healthy volunteers; it cannot show cause or any effect of taking PEA. One author previously received research funding from E3D Pharma, which the authors state did not fund or influence this study.
Source
PubMed 37216738 · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106296
Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.