Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative condition for which cannabis and cannabinoid therapies show promise, both for treating the symptoms and the underlying disease. Agitation is the most common behavioral management problem in people with Alzheimer's and affects an estimated 75 percent of people with the disease. It can include symptoms ranging from physical or verbal abusive behavior to pacing and restlessness, as well as disruptive behaviors such as screaming and repetitive requests for attention. Clinical research involving THC indicates that the cannabinoid reduced the agitation common to Alzheimer's sufferers161-163. THC is also proven effective in combating anorexia or wasting syndrome, a common problem for people with Alzheimer's disease164. Alzheimer's disease is widely held to be associated with oxidative stress due, in part, to the
membrane action of beta-amyloid peptide aggregates. Recent studies have indicated that the cannabis plant's primary components, CBD and THC, combat that problem through a combination of neuroprotective, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic effects by inhibiting the release of toxic beta-amyloid peptide165.
This new research, coupled with the extensive work done on other neuroprotective properties of cannabis components, indicates that cannabis or cannabis-based therapy may become a source of effective treatments for battling the Central Nervous System diseases that afflict millions of elderly Americans166,167.
References:
Eubanks, L. M. et al. A Molecular Link between the Active Component of Marijuana and Alzheimer's Disease Pathology. Mol. Pharmaceutics 3, 773–777 (2006).
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