Cannabinoids Exposure Levels and its Relation to Anxiety Symptoms and Sleep Disturbances: A Scoping Review Protocol

At least 60% of individuals with anxiety disorders report sleep disturbances. Shared physiological mechanisms might explain their co-occurrence. Scientific literature related to medical cannabis, a promising therapeutical candidate for these conditions, increased about 15 times in the last 10 years. However, assessments of cannabinoid exposure, anxiety, and sleep are inconsistent across studies, and the quality of the evidence is not often evaluated. We developed a Scoping Review to examine the current knowledge on these gaps related to cannabinoid use for anxiety and sleep disturbances. This protocol provides detailed information on how the scoping review will be conducted. It shows the inclusion criteria for studies on the topic of interest as well as the search strategies for the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, LILACS, and PsycINFO. We present the methodological aspects for screening, data extraction, and data charting. In addition, we proposed to evaluate the quality of the evidence by applying critical appraisal tools according to the study designs. Adherence to this protocol will allow the research team to effectively and reliably synthesize research evidence on the effect of cannabinoids on anxiety symptoms and sleep disturbances.