While not a cure, synthesised THC has shown potential for reducing agitation in Alzheimer’s patients according to a recent clinical trial.
In the USA, more than 6 million people may have Alzheimer’s; a neurodegenerative disease. Among the initial symptoms are impacts of nonmemory aspects of cognition, vision/spatial issues, and impaired reasoning. As the disease progresses, agitation is common. An estimated 40% of Alzheimer’s patients develop agitation such as pacing or repetitive movements and/or verbal/physical aggression.
In more severe cases of agitation, medication may be required.
In a study led by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine, researchers recruited 75 patients with severe Alzheimer’s agitation, meaning they were demonstrating at least one major symptom of agitation for at least two weeks.
Participants were randomly selected to get either 5 milligrams of dronabinol or a placebo in pill forms twice daily for three weeks. Dronabinol is an FDA-approved synthetic version of marijuana’s main intoxicating cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In the USA, dronabinol is currently approved for treatment of anorexia and weight loss in HIV patients as well as nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy.
Various testing was carried out prior to administration and then again after the three-week period. This revealed THC reduced agitation in Alzheimer’s patients by an average of 30%, and the researchers say compared to conventional medicinal treatments for agitation, dronabinol produced similar calming effects without adverse side-effects such as delirium or seizures.
“It is the agitation, not the memory loss, that often drives individuals with dementia to the emergency department and long-term-care facilities,” said Brent Forester, M.D,, who was co-principal investigator on the study. “Dronabinol has the potential to both reduce health care costs and make an important, positive impact on caregivers’ mental and physical health.”
The clinical trial, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Aging at the National Institutes of Health, ran over eight years. The results were presented at the International Psychogeriatric Association conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina last month; but are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Looking ahead, the researchers are planning longer-term studies of dronabinol for Alzheimer’s disease involving more patients, and hope to also investigate other ways medical cannabis can be of benefit.
