The administration of single oral doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to patients with cancer pain demonstrated a mild analgesic effect. At a dose of 20 mg, however, THC induced side effects that would prohibit its therapeutic use including somnolence, dizziness, ataxia, and blurred vision. Alarming adverse reactions were also observed at this dose. THC, 10 mg, was well tolerated and, despite its sedative effect, may analgesic potential.

A preliminary trial of oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) demonstrated an analgesic effect of the drug in patients experiencing cancer pain. Placebo and 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg THC were administered double blind to ten patients. Pain relief significantly superior to placebo was demonstrated at high dose levels (15 and 20 mg). At these levels, substantial sedation and mental clouding were reported.

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A study was made of the efficacy of a new technique, the Background Interference Procedure (BIP), to measure visuomotor impairment. 30 brain-damaged psychiatric patients, 22 psychotic nonorganic patients, and 34 nonpsychotic, nonorganic psychiatric patients were compared on performance decrements on the Bender-Gestalt Test using standard paper and BIP paper and scored by the Pascal-Suttell method. The results indicated that the brain-damaged patients showed decrements in Bender performance under BIP compared to standard conditions whereas little or no change was shown by other patients. Tentative criteria for screening the brain-damaged among psychiatric patients were formulated and tested on a fresh sample of 65 patients. The results suggest that the BIP is highly sensitive to the effects of brain damage.

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A modified scoring system based on the Pascal-Suttell method proposed by the writer for the Bender test with Background Interference Procedure was examined on 2 samples of psychiatric patients having from 36% to 38% base rate of organic brain disorders. 2 independent scorers achieved highly comparable results with the scoring system. A high degree of correspondence between BIP Bender classification of organic disorder and independent medical-neurological criteria was shown by either scorer. The efficacy of the new scoring method was supported by the results on the 2nd sample, without regard to scorer. The method appears simpler for nonclinicians to learn and may have wider application for research with the BIP than the Pascal-Suttell technique.

Two similar groups of adult psychiatric patients carrying the diagnosis of anxiety neurosis were compared in their response to different methods of training in deep muscle relaxation. One group received EMG feedback and the other a modification of the Jacobson Progressive Relaxation method. The frontalis muscle was chosen as the target for feedback training and for the measurement of tension reduction in both groups, for the reason that this muscle has been shown to reflect the general muscle tension level in anxious patients. Training was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions, and objective muscle tension levels were obtained. Overall changes in the status of the anxiety symptoms, as determined by global ratings from patients and from primary therapists, were also compared in the two groups at the end of training. The results of the study indicated that both EMG feedback and the progressive muscle relaxation training produced significant reductions in frontalis tension levels. However, EMG feedback was found to be generally superior in producing larger reductions in muscle activity, with a concomitant relief in anxiety symptoms, for a greater number of the patients.