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cannabis in the disease ofParkinson's: what is the potential of this treatment?
Unofficial data indicate that there are at least 250,000 people with Parkinson's disease in the country. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 6.3 million people are affected by the disease, making it the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. For this reason, and due to the symptoms that significantly compromise the quality of life of these people, it is urgent to look for forms of treatment that bring more well-being to patients and their caregivers. Currently, the use of medicinal Cannabis in Parkinson's disease is an option that is being studied a lot and shows promising results. That's what you'll see in this article.
Cannabis in Parkinson's disease: what is the potential of this treatment?
Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) using medical cannabis report having perceptions of improvement in parkinsonian symptoms. In a quiz With more than 1,000 participants, 40% claimed to feel a reduction in pain and muscle cramps when including the plant in the treatment, 20% showed improvement in relation to rigidity, freezing – “freezing”, tremors, depression, anxiety and leg syndrome restless. Overall, 54% of people who used CBD orally reported improvement, as did 68% of those who inhaled cannabis containing THC.
>> Check out the results at: Cannabis in Parkinson’s Disease: The Patients’ View
Below are other recent studies that reinforce the performance of Cannabis as a therapeutic adjuvant in Parkinson's disease:
neuroprotection
An interesting work this year, 2021, highlights the potential of cannabinoids to prevent or delay neuronal death in three neurodegenerative diseases: Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington. The authors highlight the discovery of the activation of microglial cells with a neuroprotective phenotype, through the action of cannabinoid derivatives, via endocannabinoid CB2 receptors.
>> Read more at Recent Advances in the Potential of Cannabinoids for Neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s Diseases
This would be one of the potential mechanisms of action, which explain the benefits of using cannabinoid derivatives in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.
Reduced anxiety and tremors
The use of CBD can reduce anxiety and tremor amplitude in patients with Parkinson's. That's what a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial found when submitting 24 patients to simulated public speaking tests. Data such as heart rate, systemic blood pressure, and tremor frequency and amplitude were collected. The Visual Analog Mood Scale (VAMS) and the Self-Assessment Scale were also applied.
The single administration of CBD at a dose of 300 mg decreased anxiety in patients with PD, as well as reduced the amplitude of tremors in an anxiety situation. as recorded by the accelerometer.
Several other works have already demonstrated the anxiogenic potential of cannabidiol in other pathological contexts. See more in this post where we talk about Prescriptive concepts and anxiety: main concepts for treatment.
sleep improvement
Sleep disorders are common in patients with Parkinson's. REM sleep behavior disorder can cause nightmares and active behavior during sleep. This work from 2014 assessed the effects of CBD on these symptoms in four people with Parkinson's. All patients had an immediate and substantial reduction in the frequency of events related to the sleep disorder, with no side effects.
psychosis management
The chronic administration of levodopa and dopaminergic agonists in the treatment of Parkinson's disease can lead to hyperstimulation of dopaminergic receptors, as well as of other neurotransmission systems, and lead to psychotic symptoms. The management of psychosis in PD is challenging and different pharmacological interventions are often necessary to achieve satisfactory results. An alternative that has been proving to be viable is medicinal cannabis. In 2009, a pilot study with six outpatients with Parkinson's who had had episodes of psychosis for at least 3 months. All received oral CBD for 4 weeks in addition to usual therapy. There was a significant decrease in psychotic symptoms and no adverse effects were observed.
>> Learn more: Cannabidiol for the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson's disease
As in Parkinson's disease, medical cannabis demonstrates potential therapeutic adjuvant in several other neurological disorders. Learn about the therapeutic effects of cannabinoid derivatives on neuropathic pain, autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.