“A placebo-controlled crossover design to investigate effects of dronabinol (THC) in patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzhemer’s disease who were refusing food.
These results indicate that dronabinol is a promising novel therapeutic agent which may be useful not only for treatment of anorexia but also to improve disturbed behavior in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”
“Nighttime agitation occurs frequently in patients with dementia and represents the number one burden on caregivers today. Current treatment options are few and limited due to substantial side effects.
The aim of the study was to measure the effect of the cannabinoid dronabinol (THC) on nocturnal motor activity.
Compared to baseline, dronabinol led to a reduction in nocturnal motor activity. These findings were corroborated by improvements in Neuropsychiatric Inventory total score as well as in subscores for agitation, aberrant motor, and nighttime behaviors . No side effects were observed.
The study suggests that dronabinol (THC) was able to reduce nocturnal motor activity and agitation in severely demented patients. Thus, it appears that dronabinol (THC) may be a safe new treatment option for behavioral and circadian disturbances in dementia.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16521031
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00213-006-0343-1
“The potential therapeutic benefits of certain cannabinoid-mediated effects, as well as the use of marijuana for its psychoactive properties, has raised interest in understanding the cellular adaptations produced by chronic administration of this class of drugs.”
“The present in vivo and in vitro findings clearly indicate that the CB1 receptor possesses anti-inflammatory properties and inhibits microglia-mediated oxidative stress.
Our results collectively suggest that the cannabinoid system is beneficial for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and other disorders associated with neuroinflammation and microglia-derived oxidative damage.
CB1 receptor is a useful pharmacological target for treating PD and other disorders associated with neuroinflammation and microglia-derived oxidative damage. ”
“The cannabinoid CB1 receptor has gained much attention as a potential pharmacotherapeutic target in various neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Our study suggests that CB1 receptors are intact in AD and may play a role in preserving cognitive function.
Therefore, CB1 receptors should be further assessed as a potential therapeutic target in AD.”
Therefore, endocannabinoid signalling networks may represent novel targets to reinstate the precision of synaptic communication under neurodegenerative conditions associated with cognitive deficit.”
“Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The presence of functional cannabinoid CB2 receptors in central nervous system (CNS) has provoked that this receptor and its agonist ligands are now considered as promising pharmacological targets for neurological diseases. Herein, we review the evidences supporting the potential role of the ECS as a therapeutic target, focused on CB2 receptor and its ligands, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.”
“Although significant advances have taken place in recent years on our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of different neurodegenerative diseases, its translation into effective therapeutic treatments has not been as successful as could be expected. There is still a dramatic lack of curative treatments for the most frequent disorders and only symptomatic relief for many others. Under this perspective, the search for novel therapeutic approaches is demanding and significant attention and efforts have been directed to studying additional neurotransmission systems including the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The neuroprotective properties of exogenous as well as endogenous cannabinoids have been known for years and the underlying molecular mechanisms have been recently unveiled. As discussed later, antioxidative, antiglutamatergic and antiinflammatory effects are now recognized as derived from cannabinoid action and are known to be of common interest for many neurodegenerative processes.
Thus, these characteristics make cannabinoids attractive candidates for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
The present review will focus on the existing data regarding the possible usefulness of cannabinoid agents for the treatment of relevant neurological pathologies for our society such as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.”
“1. Of the neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common. Three major pathologies characterize the disease: senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and inflammation. We review the literature on events contributing to the inflammation and the treatments thought to target this pathology. 2. The senile plaques of AD consist primarily of complexes of the beta-amyloid protein. This protein is central to the pathogenesis of the disease. 3. Inflammatory microglia are consistently associated with senile plaques in AD, although the classic inflammatory response (immunoglobulin and leucocyte infiltration) is absent. beta-Amyloid fragments appear to mediate such inflammatory mechanisms by activating the complement pathway in a similar fashion to immunoglobulin. 4. Epidemiological studies have identified a reduced risk of AD in patients with arthritis and in leprosy patients treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. Longitudinal studies have shown that the consumption of anti-inflammatory medications reduces the risk of AD only in younger patients (< 75 years). 5. There is a considerable body of in vitro evidence indicating that the inflammatory response of microglial cells is reduced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). However, no published data are available concerning the effects of these medications on brain pathology in AD. 6. Cyclo-oxygenase 2 enzyme is constitutively expressed in neurons and is up-regulated in degenerative brain regions in AD. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce this expression. 7. Platelets are a source of beta-amyloid and increased platelet activation and increased circulating beta-amyloid have been identified in AD. Anti-platelet medication (including NSAID) would prevent such activation and its potentially harmful consequences. 8. Increased levels of luminal beta-amyloid permeabilizes the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and increases vasoconstriction of arterial vessels, paralleling the alterations observed with infection and inflammation. Cerebral amyloidosis is highly prevalent in AD, compromising the BBB and vasoactivity.
Anti-inflammatory medications may alleviate these problems.”
“New cannabis-based treatments could improve memory loss in Alzheimer’s sufferers, scientists claim.
One of the 400 compounds in the drug can significantly slow memory problems caused by the disease, tests show.”