Giving cannabis extracts with a 2:1 ratio of CBD to THC to dementia patients is associated with behavioural improvements and very few side effects, a new study has found.
The study, which was published in the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal, supports previous research that has found both CBD and THC independently improved symptoms related to dementia.
The results pave the way for a randomised clinical study into cannabinoids as a long-term treatment for dementia.
The study
The study’s authors examined the effects of THC/CBD treatment amongst a group of 19 dementia patients with a mean age of 81 years, and collected data over a 2-year span.
The patients had been prescribed medicinal cannabis by physicians and authors observed changes in cannabis dosages, safety parameters, agitation, daily activity, possible drug interactions, and other factors.
The patients received an average of 12.4mg of THC and 24.8mg of CBD per day for around 13 months.
Researchers evaluated the pharmacokinetics of cannabinoids by measuring plasma levels and observing enzymatic activity.
In conjunction with the cannabis treatment, patients were also taking a more well-known drug amongst medical professionals that is used for the treatment of severe dementia symptoms.
Results
Researchers found a “marked improvement that was stable over time” in the majority of the clinical scores.
An overall improvement was reported in many symptoms, including agitation.
They concluded: “A long-term THC/CBD (1:2) medication can be administered safely and with overall positive clinical improvement to poly medicated older adults with severe dementia and associated problems.”
The next step for researchers is to confirm the results in a new randomised trial.
Previous research
These findings are comparable to a previous research which reported CBD-dominant cannabis extracts improved sleep and reduced agitation in dementia patients.
CBD has also been shown to reverse cognitive deficits of mice with Alzheimer’s disease (a type of dementia), while exerting neuroprotective, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Additionally, a 2021 study found regular low doses of THC (as part of a new THC-based drug) produced clinical improvements in the major symptoms of Alzheimer’s including as aggression, agitation and depression.
In fact, to date, there have been at least six clinical trials in which THC was found to ease aggression and agitation in patients diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Read: Could CBD Revolutionise Alzheimer’s Treatment?
Read: THC Microdoses May Help Treat Alzheimer’s Symptoms
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