Tag Archives: antipsychotic

Memory-rescuing effects of cannabidiol in an animal model of cognitive impairment relevant to neurodegenerative disorders.

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“Cannabidiol, the main nonpsychotropic constituent of Cannabis sativa, possesses a large number of pharmacological effects including anticonvulsive, sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective, as demonstrated in clinical and preclinical studies.

 Many neurodegenerative disorders involve cognitive deficits, and this has led to interest in whether cannabidiol could be useful in the treatment of memory impairment associated to these diseases…

We used an animal model of cognitive impairment induced by iron overload in order to test the effects of cannabidiol in memory-impaired rats…

RESULTS:

A single acute injection of cannabidiol at the highest dose was able to recover memory in iron-treated rats. Chronic cannabidiol improved recognition memory in iron-treated rats. Acute or chronic cannabidiol does not affect memory in control rats.

CONCLUSIONS:

The present findings provide evidence suggesting the potential use of cannabidiol for the treatment of cognitive decline associated with neurodegenerative disorders.

 Further studies, including clinical trials, are warranted to determine the usefulness of cannabidiol in humans suffering from neurodegenerative disorders.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21870037

Could Marijuana Treat Schizophrenia?

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“Researchers find cannabidiol is as effective as standard antipsychotic drugs—with fewer side effects.”

A compound found in marijuana can help treat schizophrenia as effectively as standard antipsychotic drugs—and with fewer side effects—according to the results of a new clinical trial, reports The Fix columnist Maia Szalavitz in Time. Researchers at University of Cologne in Germany studied 39 people with schizophrenia, all hospitalized for a psychotic episode. Twenty of the patients were given cannabidiol (CBD), a substance found in marijuana that is associated with its mellowing, anti-anxiety effects (not THC—the main ingredient in marijuana, which has been found to worsen schizophrenia). The other participants were given amisulpride, an antipsychotic medication. At the end of the four-week trial, both groups showed significant clinical improvement in their schizophrenic symptoms. “The results were amazing,” says Daniele Piomelli, professor of pharmacology at the University of California-Irvine and a co-author of the study. “Not only was [CBD] as effective as standard antipsychotics, but it was also essentially free of the typical side effects seen with antipsychotic drugs.” Antipsychotic medications can cause serious, sometimes permanent movement disorders and other side effects such as weight gain and movement problems. In the study, these side effects were observed in those taking amisulpride, but not in those taking CBD. “These exciting findings should stimulate a great deal of research,” says Dr. John Krystal, chair of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, who was not associated with the study. He noted that CBD, in addition to having fewer side effects, also seemed to work better on schizophrenia’s negative symptoms, which are notoriously difficult to treat, including: social withdrawal, blunting of pleasure, and lack of motivation.”

http://www.thefix.com/content/pot-compound-treats-schizophrenia-few-side-effects91717

Marijuana Compound May Beat Antipsychotics at Treating Schizophrenia

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“A certain marijuana compound known as cannabidiol (CBD) can treat schizophrenia as well as antipsychotic drugs, with far fewer side effects, according to a preliminary clinical trial.”

Read more: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/06/07/marijuana-compound-may-beat-antipsychotics-at-treating-schizophrenia/39803.html

New Study: Cannabidiol, a non- THC compound derived from Marijuana effectively treats schizophrenia.

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“A certain marijuana compound known as cannabidiol (CBD) can treat schizophrenia as well as antipsychotic drugs, with far fewer side effects, according to a preliminary clinical trial. Cannabidiol differs from THC which is the much publicized intoxicating chemical in THC.”

 “The results were amazing,” said Daniel Piomelli, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the University of California-Irvine and a co-author of the study. “Not only was [CBD] as effective as standard antipsychotics, but it was also essentially free of the typical side effects seen with antipsychotic drugs.””

Read more: http://www.classicalmedicinejournal.com/the-classical-medicine-journal/2012/6/18/new-study-cannabidiol-a-non-thc-compound-derived-from-mariju.html

Cannabidiol Relieves Psychosis in Schizophrenia, Why is it Illegal?

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“A molecule in cannabis (CBD) has shown to relieve anxiety and symptoms of psychosis in people diagnosed with schizophrenia, though many patients are denied or discouraged from this medicine with fewer side effects than pharmaceutical products because the DEA has deemed the cannabis plant to be “illegal”. The U.S. government needs to answer “why?” this medicine warrents time in prison when nobody is being harmed.

 Investigators concluded, “Our results provide evidence that the non-cannabimimetic constituent of marijuana, cannabidiol, exerts clinically relevant antipsychotic effects that are associated with marked tolerability and safety, when compared with current medications. … The results … potentially represent a completely new mechanism in the treatment of schizophrenia.”

 “Studies have suggested a wide range of possible therapeutic effects of cannabidiol on several conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral ischemia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory diseases, nausea and cancer,” Zuardi writes. Let’s look at a few of these in detail, shall we?

1. Antiepileptic action
“In 1973, a Brazilian group reported that CBD was active in … blocking convulsions produced in experimental animals.”

2. Sedative action
“In humans with insomnia, high doses of CBD increased sleep duration compared to placebo.”

3. Anxiolytic action
“CBD induce[s] a clear anxiolytic effect and a pattern of cerebral activity compatible with an anxiolytic activity.”

4. Antipsychcotic action
“[C]linical studies suggest that CBD is an effective, safe and well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenic patients.”

5. Antidystonic action
“CBD … had antidystonic effects in humans when administered along with standard medication to five patients with dystonia, in an open study.”

6. Antioxidative action
“[I]t was demonstrated that CBD can reduce hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage as well as or better than other antioxidants. CBD was more protective against glutamate neurotoxicity than either ascorbate or a-tocopherol, indicating that this drug is a potent antioxidant.”

7. Neuroprotective action
“A marked reduction in the cell survival was observed following exposure of cultured rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells to beta-A peptide. Treatment of the cells with CBD prior to beta-A exposure significantly elevated the cell survival.”

8. Antiinflammatory action
“CBD, administered i.p. or orally, has blocked the progression of arthritis.”

9. Cardioprotective action
“CBD induces a substantial cardioprotective effect.”

10. Action on diabetes
“CBD treatment of NOD (non-obese diabetic) mice before the development of the disease reduced its incidence from 86% in the non-treated control mice to 30% in CBD-treated mice. … It was also observed that administration of CBD to 11-14 week old female NOD mice, which were either in a latent diabetes stage or had initial symptoms of diabetes, ameliorated the manifestations of the disease.”

11. Antiemetic action
“The expression of this conditioned retching reaction was completely suppressed by CBD and delta9-THC, but not by ondansetron, [an] antagonist that interferes with acute vomiting.”

12. Anticancer action
“A study of the effect of different cannabinoids on eight tumor cell lines, in vitro, has clearly indicated that, of the five natural compounds tested, CBD was the most potent inhibitor of cancer cell growth.”

In sum, the past 45 years of scientific study on CBD has revealed the compound to be non-toxic, non-psychoactive, and to possess a multitude of therapeutic properties. Yet, to this day it remains illegal to possess or use (and nearly impossible to study in US clinical trials) simply because it is associated with marijuana.

What possible advancements in medical treatment may have been achieved over the past decades had US government officials chosen to advance — rather than inhibit — clinical research into CBD (which, under federal law, remains a Schedule I drug defined as having “no currently accepted medical use”)? Perhaps it’s time someone asks John Walters or the DEA?” 

Read more: http://rinf.com/alt-news/latest-news/cannabidiol-relieves-psychosis-in-schizophrenia-why-is-it-illegal/17827/

Cannabidiol: an overview of some pharmacological aspects.

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“Over the past few years, considerable attention has focused on cannabidiol (CBD), a major nonpsychotropic constituent of cannabis.

The authors present a review on the chemistry of CBD and discuss the anticonvulsive, antianxiety, antipsychotic, antinausea, and antirheumatoid arthritic properties of CBD.

CBD does not bind to the known cannabinoid receptors, and its mechanism of action is yet unknown. It is possible that, in part at least, its effects are due to its recently discovered inhibition of anandamide uptake and hydrolysis and to its antioxidative effect.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12412831

5-HT1A receptors are involved in the cannabidiol-induced attenuation of behavioural and cardiovascular responses to acute restraint stress in rats.

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“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotomimetic compound from Cannabis sativa which induces anxiolytic- and antipsychotic-like effects in rodents. These effects could be mediated by facilitation of the endocannabinoid system or by the activation of 5-HT(1A) receptors. As either of these mechanisms could promote adaptation to inescapable stress, the aim of the present work was to test the hypothesis that CBD would attenuate the autonomic and behavioural consequences of restraint stress (RS). We also investigated if the responses to CBD depended on activation of 5-HT(1A) receptors.

Cannabidiol (CBD)… cannabinoid generally found in relatively high concentrations in cannabis, exhibits a somewhat different pharmacology compared with THC. CBD attenuates the psychotomimetic and anxiogenic effects of THC in humans.

 Moreover, systemic administration of CBD induced antipsychotic and anxiolytic-like effects…

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS:

The results suggest that CBD can attenuate acute autonomic responses to stress and its delayed emotional consequences by facilitating 5-HT(1A) receptor-mediated neurotransmission.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697769/

 

Endocannabinoid system dysfunction in mood and related disorders.

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“The endocannabinoid (EC) system is widely distributed throughout the brain and modulates many functions. It is involved in mood and related disorders, and its activity may be modified by exogenous cannabinoids. This article examines the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in psychiatric disorders.

We propose (hypothesize) that the EC system, which is homoeostatic in cortical excitation and inhibition, is dysfunctional in mood and related disorders. Anandamide, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) variously combine antidepressant, antipsychotic, anxiolytic, analgesic, anticonvulsant actions, suggesting a therapeutic potential in mood and related disorders. Currently, cannabinoids find a role in pain control. Post mortem and other studies report EC system abnormalities in depression, schizophrenia and suicide. Abnormalities in the cannabinoid-1 receptor (CNR1) gene that codes for cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptors are reported in psychiatric disorders. However, efficacy trials of cannabinoids in psychiatric disorders are limited but offer some encouragement.

CONCLUSION:

Research is needed to elucidate the role of the EC system in psychiatric disorders and for clinical trials with THC, CBD and synthetic cannabinoids to assess their therapeutic potential.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21916860

Cannabidiol for the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease.

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Abstract

“The management of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been considered a great challenge for clinicians and there is a need for new pharmacological intervention. Previously an antipsychotic and neuroprotective effect of Cannabidiol (CBD) has been suggested. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to directly evaluate for the first time, the efficacy, tolerability and safety of CBD on PD patients with psychotic symptoms. This was an open-label pilot study. Six consecutive outpatients (four men and two women) with the diagnosis of PD and who had psychosis for at least 3 months were selected for the study. All patients received CBD in flexible dose (started with an oral dose of 150 mg/day) for 4 weeks, in addition to their usual therapy. The psychotic symptoms evaluated by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Parkinson Psychosis Questionnaire showed a significant decrease under CBD treatment. CBD did not worsen the motor function and decreased the total scores of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. No adverse effect was observed during the treatment. These preliminary data suggest that CBD may be effective, safe and well tolerated for the treatment of the psychosis in PD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18801821

Antidepressant-like effects of cannabidiol in mice: possible involvement of 5-HT1A receptors

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 “Extracts of the Cannabis sativa plant elicit in humans a complex subjective experience that includes euphoria, heightened sensitivity to external stimuli and relaxation. This plant contains more than 400 different compounds, of which 66 are termed cannabinoids. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), one of the major constituents of C. sativa extracts is thought to account for most of the effects of cannabis through the activation of cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the brain….The major endogenous agonists of the CB1 receptor are anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, referred to as endocannabinoids…”

“It has recently been suggested that the endocannabinoid system may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. This is supported by several pieces of evidence showing that endocannabinoids and CB1 receptors are widely distributed in brain areas that are often related to affective disorders and that their expression is regulated by antidepressant drugs. Moreover, administration of inhibitors of anandamide uptake or metabolism, as well as CB1 receptor agonists induces antidepressant-like effects in different animal models. In accordance with these preclinical results, many patients report benefits from cannabis use in depressive syndromes…”

“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotomimetic compound from Cannabis sativa that induces anxiolytic- and antipsychotic-like effects in animal models. Effects of CBD may be mediated by the activation of 5-HT1A receptors. As 5-HT1A receptor activation may induce antidepressant-like effects, the aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that CBD would have antidepressant-like activity in mice as assessed by the forced swimming test. We also investigated if these responses depended on the activation of 5-HT1A receptors and on hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).”

“Conclusion and implications:

CBD induces antidepressant-like effects comparable to those of imipramine. These effects of CBD were probably mediated by activation of 5-HT1A receptors.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2823358/