Who is sponsoring NCT03718520?

NCT03718520 is sponsored by University of Colorado, Denver.

What drugs are being tested in NCT03718520?

Interventions in NCT03718520: no intervention, this is a purely observational study.

What condition does NCT03718520 study?

NCT03718520 studies Cannabis Use Disorder, PREG1, Drug Use, Fetal Exposure During Pregnancy, Neurodevelopmental Abnormality.

Is NCT03718520 still recruiting?

NCT03718520 is currently completed. Last updated 27 October 2021.

Last reviewed 2021-10-27 · How we verify

NCT03718520

Name: Drug Landscape Pharmaceutical Database
Creator: Drug Landscape
Published: 2026-01-01
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Influence of in Utero Cannabis Exposure on Neonatal Brain Morphology and Structural Connectivity

Completed Last updated 27 October 2021

What this trial tests

trial testing no intervention, this is a purely observational study in Cannabis Use Disorder in 168 participants. Completed in 31 March 2020.

Timeline

7 November 2018

Primary endpoint
31 March 2020

31 March 2020

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Colorado, Denver
Status	Completed
Study type	OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment	168
Start date	7 November 2018
Primary completion	31 March 2020
Estimated completion	31 March 2020
Sites	2 locations across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

no intervention, this is a purely observational study

Conditions studied

Cannabis Use Disorder — all drugs for Cannabis Use Disorder →
PREG1 — all drugs for PREG1 →
Drug Use — all drugs for Drug Use →
Fetal Exposure During Pregnancy — all drugs for Fetal Exposure During Pregnancy →

Sponsor

University of Colorado, Denver

Who can join

18 and older, female only, with Cannabis Use Disorder or PREG1. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug by women during pregnancy with an estimated prevalence of use in Colorado of 5.7%. THC and its metabolites freely cross the placenta and blood-brain barrier to bind with cannabinoid receptors, disrupting the endogenous cannabinoid signaling system during a critical period of development of cortical circuitry structure and function. The density of cannabinoid receptors in the developing brain is high, especially in the limbic areas and prefrontal lobes. Research in animal models suggests synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal lobes as well the amygdala and hippocampus are impacted by the prenatal cannabis exposure; regions associated with both cognitive and emotional control, thus influencing long-term deficiencies in attention and impulsivity. This pilot study will collect preliminary data on the structural impact of in utero cannabis exposure on region-specific morphology and structural connectivity of white matter tracts that connect to the prefrontal lobes and the limbic regions shortly after birth, before confounding by the postnatal environment becomes a major influence.

Publications & conference data

1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

<i>In utero</i> chronic cannabis exposure is associated with lower total brain volume in the first month of postnatal life.
Crume TL, Kim P, Shen X, Iisa E, et al · · 2025 · cited 1× · PMID 40700630 · DOI 10.1080/00952990.2025.2506112

Verify or expand the search:

Other recruiting trials for Cannabis Use Disorder

Currently open trials in the same condition.

NCT07523633 — Effect of Semaglutide on Cannabis Use in Adults With Cannabis Use Disorder · Phase 2 · recruiting
NCT07056894 — Effects of Action-Based Cognitive Remediation on Substance Misuse in Early Phase Psychosis · NA · recruiting
NCT07218471 — Cannabis Reduction and Functional Outcomes · NA · recruiting
NCT07184983 — RS-tDCS for Cannabis Use Disorder: The C.A.R.E.S. Initiative · NA · recruiting
NCT06883162 — Cannabis-Tobacco Co-Use Treatment Study · Phase 3 · recruiting

Other University of Colorado, Denver trials

Trials by the same sponsor.

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NCT07453732 — Banana Leaves as a Wound Dressing for Partial Thickness Second Degree Burns in Adult Patients. · NA · not yet recruiting
NCT07038278 — 5-AminoLevulinic Acid Aided Resection Margins in Sarcoma · EARLY_PHASE1 · not yet recruiting
NCT07279558 — Cannabidiol and Alcohol Use Disorder Phenotypes · Phase 2 · recruiting

Verify against primary sources

ClinicalTrials.gov — authoritative US registry record
WHO ICTRP — international registry index
EU Clinical Trials Register
Sponsor press releases (Google)

Data sources for this page

Trial protocol + status: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03718520 (US National Library of Medicine, public domain)
Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Colorado, Denver
Last refreshed: 27 October 2021

Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT03718520.

Primary sources · FDA · ClinicalTrials.gov · EMA · SEC EDGAR · ChEMBL · Wikidata · full sourcing