Table 1.

Preclinical and clinical studies investigating the anxiolytic properties of CBD. ↓, anxiolytic effect; ↑, anxiogenic effect; CFC, contextual fear conditioning; EPM, elevated plus maze; ETM, elevated T maze; GAD, generalized anxiety patients; OF, open field; VCT, Vogel conflict test; i.p., intraperitoneal injection; i.c.v., intracerebroventricular injection; DPAG, dorsal periaqueductal grey; BNST, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; PL, prelimbic cortex; IL, infralimbic cortex; CeA, central amygdala.

model	species	effective doses	CBD effect	references
studies with laboratory animals
Geller-Seifter conflict model	rat	100 mg kg−1 i.p.	no effect	[5]
conditioned emotional responses	rat	10 mg kg−1 i.p.	↓	[6]
EPM	rat	2.5–10 mg kg−1 i.p	↓	[7]
EPM	mouse	1–10 mg kg−1 i.p.	↓	[8]
VCT	rat	10 mg kg−1	↓	[9]
CFC	rat	10 mg kg−1 i.p.	↓; decreased autonomic responses	[10]
predator exposure (Cat)+ EPM	rat	5 mg kg−1	↓	[11]
restraint stress + EPM	rat	30 nmol intra-cisterna magna	decreased autonomic and delayed anxiogenic effect	[12]
predator exposure (snake)	mouse	3–30 mg kg−1 i.p.	panicolytic	[13]
marble burying	mouse	30 mg kg−1 i.p	decreased compulsive behaviour	[14]
CFC/fear memory extinction	rat	6.35 nmol i.c.v.	↓; facilitated extinction	[15]
ETM/DPAG electric stimulation	rat	30–60 nmol intra-DPAG	↓, panicolytic	[16]
restraint stress + EPM	rat	10 mg kg−1 i.p.	decreased autonomic and delayed anxiogenic effect	[17]
EPM/VCT	rat	15–30 nmol intra-DPAG	↓	[18]
EPM/VCT	rat	30–60 nmol intra-BNST	↓	[19]
CFC	rat	30–60 nmol intra-BNST	↓, decreased autonomic responses	[20]
CFC	rat	30 nmol intra-PL	↓	[21]
CFC	rat	30 nmol intra-IL	↑	[21]
CFC	rat	10 mg kg−1 i.p./daily/14 days	↑	[22]
CFC/fear reconsolidation	rat	10 mg kg−1 i.p.	↓; memory reconsolidation impairment	[23]
model/measures	subjects	dose (mg, p.o.)	CBD effect	references
clinical studies
simulated public-speaking	healthy volunteers	400 mg	↓	[24]
neuroimaging study	healthy volunteers	400 mg	↓	[25]
fearful facial stimuli	healthy volunteers	600 mg	↓	[26]
fearful facial stimuli	healthy volunteers	600 mg	↓	[27]
anxiety symptoms (visual analogue mood scale)	GAD	400 mg	↓	[28]
simulated public speaking	social phobics	400 mg	↓	[29]