Low-dose cannabigerol (CBG) has different effects on sustained and divided attention in rats
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Rationale: Cannabigerol (CBG), a non-intoxicating cannabinoid with high affinity for alpha-2 adrenergic receptors and antagonist activity at 5-HT1A receptors, has been suggested to enhance certain cognitive domains. Better-known alpha-2 agonists such as clonidine and guanfacine treat attention deficits, and CBG should produce similar effects to these.Objectives: This study examined whether low doses of CBG, clonidine, and guanfacine could improve performance on rodent models of sustained and divided attention, while assessing sedation as a potential confound.Methods: Twenty-four adult female and male Long-Evans rats were trained on a signal-detection task assessing sustained attention, combined with an auditory distractor task to assess divided attention. In three experiments, rats received systemic injections of clonidine (0.005–0.08 mg/kg), CBG (0.3–10.0 mg/kg), or guanfacine (0.1–0.4 mg/kg).Results: Clonidine impaired both sustained and divided attention at higher doses, accompanied by sedation and reduced responding. CBG produced a significant dose X task interaction: divided attention was enhanced at 0.3 and 3.0 mg/kg, while sustained attention was mildly impaired, an effect limited to the shortest (100 ms) stimulus duration. Guanfacine did not affect sustained attention but impaired divided attention starting at 0.2 mg/kg. Neither CBG nor guanfacine produced sedation.Conclusions: Low-dose CBG selectively enhances divided attention while mildly impairing sustained attention, a dissociation not explained by sedation or overt motor effects, and distinct from the alpha-2 agonists tested. These findings support continued investigation of CBG's therapeutic potential for attention deficit.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214146838