Category Archives: Dementia

Cannabinoids and Dementia: A Review of Clinical and Preclinical Data.

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“The endocannabinoid system has been shown to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases and dementia.

We review the preclinical and clinical data on cannabinoids and four neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Huntington’s disease (HD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and vascular dementia (VD).

Numerous studies have demonstrated an involvement of the cannabinoid system in neurotransmission, neuropathology and neurobiology of dementias. In addition, several candidate compounds have demonstrated efficacy in vitro.

However, some of the substances produced inconclusive results in vivo. Therefore, only few trials have aimed to replicate the effects seen in animal studies in patients. Indeed, the literature on cannabinoid administration in patients is scarce.

While preclinical findings suggest causal treatment strategies involving cannabinoids, clinical trials have only assessed the suitability of cannabinoid receptor agonists, antagonists and cannabidiol for the symptomatic treatment of dementia.

Further research is needed, including in vivo models of dementia and human studies.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27713372

Selective modulator of cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) against biochemical alterations and brain damage in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion induced vascular dementia.

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“Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of cognitive decline in aged people but the effectual therapeutic target is still missing.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) has been widely found in vascular dementia (VaD) patients. CCH is thought to link with neurodegenerative disorders and their subsequent cognitive impairment.

The present study has been framed to investigate the role of selective agonist of CB2 receptor (1-phenylisatin) in CCH induced VaD.

These results indicate that 2VO induced CCH in rats, which was attenuated with the treatment of 1-phenylisatin.

Hence, it may be suggested that modulation in cannabinoid receptor may provide benefits in CCH as cognitive impairment and VaD.

Therefore, pharmacological positive modulation of CB2 receptors may be a potential research target for alleviation of VaD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27599483

Delineating the Efficacy of a Cannabis-Based Medicine at Advanced Stages of Dementia in a Murine Model.

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“Previous reports have demonstrated that the combination of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) botanical extracts, which are the components of an already approved cannabis-based medicine, reduce the Alzheimer-like phenotype of AβPP/PS1 transgenic mice when chronically administered during the early symptomatic stage.

Here, we provide evidence that such natural cannabinoids are still effective in reducing memory impairment in AβPP/PS1 mice at advanced stages of the disease but are not effective in modifying the Aβ processing or in reducing the glial reactivity associated with aberrant Aβ deposition as occurs when administered at early stages of the disease.

The present study also demonstrates that natural cannabinoids do not affect cognitive impairment associated with healthy aging in wild-type mice.

The positive effects induced by Δ9-THC and CBD in aged AβPP/PS1 mice are associated with reduced GluR2/3 and increased levels of GABA-A Ra1 in cannabinoid-treated animals when compared with animals treated with vehicle alone.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27567873

Agitation in Alzheimer Disease as a Qualifying Condition for Medical Marijuana in the United States.

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“Of the 24 states and localities where medical marijuana is legal, dementia is a qualifying condition in 10 (41.7%), primarily for agitation of Alzheimer disease.

Dementia is somewhat commonly listed as a potential qualifying condition for medical marijuana.

Currently, few applicants for medical marijuana list dementia as the reason for seeking certification. However, given increasingly open attitudes toward recreational and medical marijuana use, providers should be aware that dementia is a potential indication for licensing, despite lack of evidence for its efficacy.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27389672

Natural Phytochemicals in the Treatment and Prevention of Dementia: An Overview.

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“The word dementia describes a class of heterogeneous diseases which etiopathogenetic mechanisms are not well understood. There are different types of dementia, among which, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are the more common.

Currently approved pharmacological treatments for most forms of dementia seem to act only on symptoms without having profound disease-modifying effects. Thus, alternative strategies capable of preventing the progressive loss of specific neuronal populations are urgently required.

In particular, the attention of researchers has been focused on phytochemical compounds that have shown antioxidative, anti-amyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties and that could represent important resources in the discovery of drug candidates against dementia.

In this review, we summarize the neuroprotective effects of the main phytochemicals belonging to the polyphenol, isothiocyanate, alkaloid and cannabinoid families in the prevention and treatment of the most common kinds of dementia.

We believe that natural phytochemicals may represent a promising sources of alternative medicine, at least in association with therapies approved to date for dementia.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27110749

ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM: A multi-facet therapeutic target.

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“Cannabis sativa is also popularly known as marijuana. It is being cultivated and used by man for recreational and medicinal purposes from many centuries.

Study of cannabinoids was at bay for very long time and its therapeutic value could not be adequately harnessed due to its legal status as proscribed drug in most of the countries.

The research of drugs acting on endocannabinoid system has seen many ups and down in recent past. Presently, it is known that endocannabinoids has role in pathology of many disorders and they also serve “protective role” in many medical conditions.

Several diseases like emesis, pain, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, anorexia, epilepsy, glaucoma, schizophrenia, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, obesity, metabolic syndrome related diseases, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome could possibly be treated by drugs modulating endocannabinoid system.

Presently, cannabinoid receptor agonists like nabilone and dronabinol are used for reducing the chemotherapy induced vomiting. Sativex (cannabidiol and THC combination) is approved in the UK, Spain and New Zealand to treat spasticity due to multiple sclerosis. In US it is under investigation for cancer pain, another drug Epidiolex (cannabidiol) is also under investigation in US for childhood seizures. Rimonabant, CB1 receptor antagonist appeared as a promising anti-obesity drug during clinical trials but it also exhibited remarkable psychiatric side effect profile. Due to which the US Food and Drug Administration did not approve Rimonabant in US. It sale was also suspended across the EU in 2008.

Recent discontinuation of clinical trial related to FAAH inhibitor due to occurrence of serious adverse events in the participating subjects could be discouraging for the research fraternity. Despite of some mishaps in clinical trials related to drugs acting on endocannabinoid system, still lot of research is being carried out to explore and establish the therapeutic targets for both cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists.

One challenge is to develop drugs that target only cannabinoid receptors in a particular tissue and another is to invent drugs that acts selectively on cannabinoid receptors located outside the blood brain barrier. Besides this, development of the suitable dosage forms with maximum efficacy and minimum adverse effects is also warranted.

Another angle to be introspected for therapeutic abilities of this group of drugs is non-CB1 and non-CB2 receptor targets for cannabinoids.

In order to successfully exploit the therapeutic potential of endocannabinoid system, it is imperative to further characterize the endocannabinoid system in terms of identification of the exact cellular location of cannabinoid receptors and their role as “protective” and “disease inducing substance”, time-dependent changes in the expression of cannabinoid receptors.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27086601

Safety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis Oil for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: An-Open Label, Add-On, Pilot Study.

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“Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

OBJECTIVE:

To measure efficacy and safety of medical cannabis oil (MCO) containing THC as an add-on to pharmacotherapy, in relieving behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

Eleven AD patients were recruited to an open label, 4 weeks, prospective trial.

RESULTS:

Ten patients completed the trial. Significant reduction in CGI severity score and NPI score were recorded. NPI domains of significant decrease were: Delusions, agitation/aggression, irritability, apathy, and sleep and caregiver distress.

CONCLUSION:

Adding MCO to AD patients’ pharmacotherapy is safe and a promising treatment option.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26757043

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/alzheimers-disease-ad/

Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Agitation and Aggression in Alzheimer’s Disease.

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“Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is frequently associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as agitation and aggression, especially in the moderate to severe stages of the illness. The limited efficacy and high-risk profiles of current pharmacotherapies for the management of agitation and aggression in AD have driven the search for safer pharmacological alternatives.

Over the past few years, there has been a growing interest in the therapeutic potential of medications that target the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The behavioural effects of ECS medications, as well as their ability to modulate neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, make targeting this system potentially relevant in AD.

This article summarizes the literature to date supporting this rationale and evaluates clinical studies investigating cannabinoids for agitation and aggression in AD.

Letters, case studies, and controlled trials from four electronic databases were included. While findings from six studies showed significant benefits from synthetic cannabinoids-dronabinol or nabilone-on agitation and aggression, definitive conclusions were limited by small sample sizes, short trial duration, and lack of placebo control in some of these studies.

Given the relevance and findings to date, methodologically rigorous prospective clinical trials are recommended to determine the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids for the treatment of agitation and aggression in dementia and AD.”

Safety, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of multiple oral doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in older persons with dementia

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“In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial, we evaluated the safety, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of THC…

Older people with dementia and physical comorbidity could greatly benefit from the therapeutic application of cannabinoids. Recent studies have demonstrated that low doses of THC are effective in protecting the brain from neuroinflammation-induced cognitive damage.

Our findings suggest that low THC doses are safe and well tolerated by frail older persons with dementia.”

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-015-3889-y

“Our findings suggest that low THC doses are safe and well tolerated by frail older persons with dementia.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480847/

 

Cannabis News: The Cannabinoid System Reverses Dementia, Treats PTSD and Controls Diabetes Top May’s News Digest from Publius

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“The Cannabinoid System’s role in reversing dementia, treating PTSD and controlling diabetes highlight May’s cannabis news from Publius, the pen name used by the authors of The Cannabis Papers – Federal ignorance goes on unabated.”

“The Cannabinoid System’s (CS) role in reversing dementia, treating PTSD and controlling diabetes highlight May’s cannabis news from Publius, the pen name used by the authors of The Cannabis Papers: A citizen’s guide to cannabinoids (2011).”

More: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10787154.htm