Accuracy and replicability of identifying eyelid tremor as an indicator of recent cannabis smoking

Abstract

Introduction

Cannabis intoxication may increase the risk of motor vehicle crashes. However, reliable methods of assessing cannabis intoxication are limited. The presence of eyelid tremors is among the signs of cannabis use identified under the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Our objectives were to assess the accuracy and replicability of identifying eyelid tremor as an indicator of recent cannabis smoking using a blinded, controlled study design.

Methods

Adult subjects (N = 103) were recruited into three groups based on their cannabis use history: daily, occasional, and no current cannabis use. Participants’ closed eyelids were video recorded for 30 seconds by infrared videography goggles before and at a mean ± standard deviation time of 71.4 ± 4.6 minutes after the onset of a 15-minute interval of ad libitum cannabis flower smoking or vaping. Three observers with expertise in neuro-ophthalmology and medical toxicology were trained on exemplar videos of eyelids to reach a consensus on how to grade eyelid tremor. Without knowledge of subjects’ cannabis use history or time point (pre- or post-smoking), observers reviewed each video for eyelid tremor graded as absent, slight, moderate, or severe. During subsequent data analysis, this score was further dichotomized as a consensus score of absent (absent/slight) or present (moderate/severe).

Results

Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient statistics demonstrated moderate agreement among the coders, which ranged from 0.44–0.45 and 0.58–0.61, respectively. There was no significant association between recent cannabis use and the observers’ consensus assessment that eyelid tremor was present, and cannabis users were less likely to have tremors (odds ratio: 0.75; 95 percent confidence interval: 0.25, 2.40). The assessment of eyelid tremor as an indicator of recent cannabis smoking had a sensitivity of 0.86, specificity of 0.18, and accuracy of 0.64.

Discussion

Eyelid tremor has fair sensitivity but poor specificity and accuracy for identification of recent cannabis use. Inter-rater reliability for assessment of eyelid tremor was moderate for the presence and degree of tremor. The weak association between recent cannabis use and eyelid tremor does not support its utility in identifying recent cannabis use.

Limitations

Videos were recorded at only one time point after cannabis use. Adherence to abstinence could not be strictly supervised. Due to regulatory restrictions, we were unable to control the cannabis product used or administer a fixed Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol dose. Participants were predominately non-Hispanic and White.

Conclusions

In a cohort of participants with a range of cannabis use histories, acute cannabis smoking was not associated with the presence of eyelid tremor, regardless of cannabis use history, at 70 minutes post-smoking. Additional research is needed to identify the presence of eyelid tremor accurately, determine the relationship between cannabis dose and timeline in relation to last cannabis use to eyelid tremor, and determine how it should be, if at all, utilized for cannabis Drug Recognition Evaluator examinations.

Keywords:

• Cannabis
• impairment
• eyelid tremor
• drug recognition expert
• marijuana

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Ron Waldorf and Ocular Data Systems, LLC for providing the ocular device at no charge to the study.

Disclosure statement

Dr. Wang receives royalties from UpToDate for authorship contributions on related subject matter. Dr. Brooks-Russell receives funding from Lifeloc Technologies and Inspect IR Systems, Inc.

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (17 FHHA 97267) and National Institutes of Health (R01 DA049800).