Cannabis and Dementia

 

Dementia is typically an age related affliction. As a person ages, his brain degenerates and loses much of its processing power. This is possibly the result of a sedentary lifestyle, where the brain is not used for much more than the subconscious actions needed to survive. It is also the result of accumulated amyloids in the brain. Now the sources of these are many, including a number of synthetic drugs, both legal and illegal pharmaceutical drugs. A person with dementia is known to suddenly fly into fits of rage, show restlessness, display extremes of anti-social behavior, such as defecating in inappropriate places, and generally does things which give the appearance of sleep walking. Often when persons with dementia are confronted with their seemingly strange behavior, they deny the whole incident. Dementia has traditionally been an age related brain degeneration disease, gradually reducing the individual to a vegetative state, but it seems to be increasingly appearing in more younger people these days, possibly due to the increase in sedentary lifestyles, inappropriate diet and consumption of synthetic pharma drugs, legal and illegal, at much younger ages and over longer periods of time. Conventional pharmaceutical medications do not seem to be having an effect on treating this condition, and in some cases may be aggravating the condition, such as the usage of benzodiazepines. Alzheimer's Disease is a type of dementia, as is Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).

Cannabis has been associated with dementia treatment. It has been shown to be an effective mood regulator in older people, reducing the incidents of loss of self control, helping them lead much more active and appreciative lives with the joy of living remaining intact. Cannabis is known for its neuro-generative and neuro-protective properties, and this may be aiding the brain of the person with dementia to clear the fog in the brain (or the amyloids to be more precise) and reconnect his or her neural pathways once again. Cannabis is know to increase blood flow to the brain, thus aiding in the treatment of dementia, besides other conditions such as traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). The fastest growing age group embracing cannabis, in places where it is legalized, are the elderly. Dementia is listed as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis in many states in the US. Cannabis is known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic, sedative and anxiolytic properties. All these further strengthen the addressing of comorbid conditions associated with dementia. Cannabis consumers are much more active, less likely to be obese, and less likely to consume excessive synthetic pharma drugs, especially for the treatment of the above mentioned symptoms that accompany dementia.

 

A lot of focus has been given on cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of dementia. This is mainly due to the fact that CBD is perceived to be less harmful than delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD also enjoys much greater legal acceptance than THC which has been greatly maligned by the decades of anti-cannabis misinformation. More and more studies are uncovering the benefits of THC for dementia, especially Alzheimer's Disease.

 

Cannabis has been used by humans across diverse populations for thousands of years. It has the safest profile among medicines, making it a truly universal medicine. It can be safely administered to the elderly. It can be administered in various forms, and in varying doses, suitable for the needs of a specific patient, even one suffering with a number of other medical conditions. As in all the cases of hurdles for cannabis as medicine, the problem on a larger scale is that there are millions with dementia worldwide who cannot access cannabis because of its illegal status, leaving patients and their caregivers to struggle through pain, frustration, confusion and restlessness. The few who can access cannabis for dementia live in the wealthy countries that have loosened cannabis laws, or belong to the upper classes everywhere. It is ironic, since it is these very same wealthy nations and upper classes who joined hands to bring about cannabis prohibition. For the vast majority of the world, who belong to the poorest classes, the laboring and working classes, the indigenous communities, etc., cannabis remains inaccessible. Complete legalization of cannabis, with retail sales and home growing, will enable every individual in the world, even in the remotest places, to grow, access and afford cannabis.That would, obviously, deliver a dent in the aspirations of global pharma companies and the medical industry, intent on maximizing profits at the cost of public health. So these entities continue to influence policy makers and the public so as to continue keeping cannabis prohibited.

Related articles

The following list of articles taken from various media speak about the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article. 

'The use of cannabis products is associated with perceived behavioral improvements in elderly patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), according to a case series published in Neurodegenerative Disease Management. FTD is among the most common forms of dementia other than Alzheimer’s disease.

A team of investigators with the University of Arizona College of Medicine reported on three separate cases of subjects with FTD who responded favorably to cannabinoids.'

https://norml.org/news/2021/06/03/case-series-cannabis-products-associated-with-behavioral-improvements-in-dementia-patients

'In our present study, by employing all atom molecular dynamics simulations, we have investigated the mechanism of the interaction of the THC molecules with the amyloid-ß protofibrils. Our results show that the THC molecules disrupt the protofibril structure by binding strongly to them. The driving force for the binding was the hydrophobic interactions with the hydrophobic residues in the fibrils. As a result of these interactions, the tight packing of the hydrophobic core of the protofibrils was made loose, and salt bridges, which were important for stability were disrupted. Hydrogen bonds between the chains of the protofibrils which are important for stability were disrupted, as a result of which the ß-sheet content was reduced. The destabilization of the protofibrils by the THC molecules leads to the conclusion that THC molecules may be considered for the therapy in treating Alzheimer’s disease.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1093326321000589

' - A high percentage of caregivers was satisfied with the effectiveness of CBD oil.
- Most caregivers believed that healthcare professionals should offer CBD oil as a part of treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease. Only 63 % reported consulting with their physician about using CBD oil.
- Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease have certain misconceptions about CBD oil.
- Programs designed to increase individuals’ awareness regarding the difference between medical cannabis and CBD are needed.'

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229921000017

'Background: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is characterized by progressive deterioration in behaviors, executive function and/or language. The behavioral variant (Bv) is characterized by disinhibition and obsessive/compulsive behaviors. These symptoms are sometimes resistant to medications. This series examines patients suffering with treatment-resistant Bv-FTD who were prescribed cannabinoid and related compounds for other indications. Case presentation: Three FTD cases from a dementia clinic were identified. These patients had disability due to behavior despite typical pharmacologic management. These patients were prescribed marijuana for comorbidities (anxiety, insomnia and pain). In all cases, use of cannabinoid products showed significant improvements in behavior and in the primary indication for prescription. Conclusion: Review of these cases demonstrates potential for the use of cannabinoids in the management of treatment-resistant Bv-FTD.'

https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/10.2217/nmt-2020-0048

'Cannabidiol, more commonly called CBD, has grown in popularity as a medicinal substance, with users claiming a variety of benefits ranging from better sleep to pain relief and more. Select past research has linked the compound with improvements in psychiatric issues, such as easing PTSD, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms in sufferers.

As well, there have been indications that CBD may help reduce dementia symptoms in people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, though more work is necessary to determine how extensive this benefit may be. The new study from University College London has potentially found the mechanism to explain this impact on the brain.'

https://www.slashgear.com/study-finds-cbd-may-be-powerful-nootropic-by-boosting-brain-blood-flow-16633578/

'Results:
CBD increased CBF [cerebral blood flow] in the hippocampus (mean (95% confidence intervals) = 15.00 (5.78–24.21) mL/100 g/min, t14 = 3.489, Cohen’s d = 0.75, p = 0.004). There were no differences in memory task performance, but there was a significant correlation whereby greater CBD-induced increases in orbitofrontal CBF were associated with reduced reaction time on the 2-back working memory task (r= -0.73, p = 0.005).

Conclusions:
These findings suggest that CBD increases CBF to key regions involved in memory processing, particularly the hippocampus. These results identify potential mechanisms of CBD for a range of conditions associated with altered memory processing, including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and cannabis-use disorders.'

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269881120936419

'The administration of oral THC is associated with symptom mitigation and reduced prescription drug use in a patient with severe Alzheimer’s-induced dementia, according to a case report published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

 A team of Austrian researchers reported on the use of synthetic, oral THC (dronabinol) in a female patient with severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Low-dose administration of dronabinol was associated with reduced aggression and anxiety, as well as an overall improvement in the patient’s emotional state. The patient was also able to reduce her use of psychopharmacological drugs from a total of six medications to three over the course of cannabinoid treatment.'
https://norml.org/news/2020/06/25/case-report-oral-thc-effective-in-mitigating-agitation-due-to-alzheimers

'Results: Ten female demented patients with severe behavior problems received oral medication with on average 7.6 mg THC/13.2 mg CBD daily after 2 weeks, 8.8 mg THC/17.6 mg CBD after 1 month, and 9.0 mg THC/18.0 mg CBD after 2 months. The THC/CBD-based oil was preferred. Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory score, and a behavior problem visual analog scale decreased by 40% after 2 months, rigidity score by 50%. Half of the patients decreased or stopped other psychotropic medications. The staff appreciated the decrease in rigidity, making daily care and transfers easier, the improved direct contact with the patients, the improvement in behavior, and the decrease in constipation with less opioids. There was no withholding of the medication for reasons of side effects, and the effects persisted after 2 months.

Conclusions: An oral cannabis extract with THC/CBD, in higher dosages than in other studies, was well tolerated and greatly improved behavior problems, rigidity, and daily care in severely demented patients.'
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/498924


'Tikun Olam, Israel’s veteran medical cannabis company, maintains a robust medical research program which draws from its detailed database of tens of thousands of patients, and extensive clinical research collaborations with academic and medical partners. I recently spoke with Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider, director of Tikun Olam’s research department, about studies the company has been involved in with a focus on older adults.

In our conversation, Schleider described the results of a prospective study on the safety and efficacy of medical cannabis in the elderly, conducted in collaboration with Soroka Medical Center, and recently published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine. The study evaluated the response to medical cannabis of patients over 65 with conditions including cancer and its associated pain and treatment side-effects, neuropathic pain and Parkinson’s disease, among others.'
https://www.forbes.com/sites/abbierosner/2019/03/04/new-medical-cannabis-research-from-israel-older-adults-dementia-and-dialysis/


'While cannabis is not a Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment option for Alzheimer’s, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is open to reviewing studies on the effects of cannabinoids, it said in a new notice. It specifies that “medical marijuana” is one of several drugs that are “used for treatment” of clinical Alzheimer’s-type dementia.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-agency-asks-public-to-send-studies-on-marijuana-and-alzheimers-disease/


'Dr. William Orr, a Minneapolis-based geriatric psychiatrist, supported the petition and argued that advanced Alzheimer’s can make patients confused, aggressive and combative. Benzodiazepines and narcotics can calm these patients, he wrote, but those drugs aren’t federally approved for the purpose and can cause severe, mood-altering side effects.

“I believe that advanced dementia patients with tremendous anxiety, restlessness, and pain will benefit,” he wrote. “Such patients are episodically distraught and become quickly angered and paranoid of staff trying to help them due to their confusion and inability to understand their circumstances.”'
http://www.startribune.com/alzheimer-s-added-to-minnesota-s-medical-marijuana-list/501803661/