Reversal of age-related cognitive impairments in mice by an extremely low dose of tetrahydrocannabinol.

Neurobiology of Aging

“This study was designed to test our hypothesis that an ultra-low dose of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) reverses age-dependent cognitive impairments in old mice and to examine the possible biological mechanisms that underlie this behavioral effect. These findings suggest that extremely low doses of THC that are devoid of any psychotropic effect and do not induce desensitization may provide a safe and effective treatment for cognitive decline in aging humans.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29107185

“Cognitive decline is an integral aspect of aging. The idea that age-related cognitive decline can be reversed and that the old brain can be revitalized is not new. It has been previously suggested that the endocannabinoid system is part of an antiaging homeostatic defense system.  In previous studies, we have shown that ultra-low doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main psychotropic ingredient in cannabis) protected young mice from cognitive impairments that were evoked by various insults. In the present study, we tested our hypothesis that a single ultra-low dose of THC can reverse age-dependent cognitive decline in mice. Here, we show that a single extremely low dose of THC devoid of any psychotropic activity can trigger an endogenous compensatory mechanism that improves cognitive functioning in old mice and that this effect lasts for at least several weeks. Since THC in high doses (dronabinol, 1–10 mg) is already approved for medical treatments in humans, and since its safety profile is well characterized, we believe that the initiation of clinical trials with ultra-low doses of THC designed to reverse cognitive decline in elderly patients should be straightforward.”  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458017303214

“Reversal of age-related cognitive impairments in mice by an extremely low dose of tetrahydrocannabinol. These findings suggest that extremely low doses of THC that are devoid of any psychotropic effect and do not induce desensitization may provide a safe and effective treatment for cognitive decline in aging humans.”   http://www.neurobiologyofaging.org/article/S0197-4580(17)30321-4/fulltext

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