Sao Paulo, Brazil: Plant-derived cannabinoids, including CBD, possess a potential multi-targeted treatment strategy for patients with Parkinson’s disease and dyskinesia, according to a literature review published in the journal Neurotoxicity Research.
Brazilian researchers affiliated with the University of Sao Paulo assessed “clinical and preclinical evidence suggesting CBD and other cannabinoids have therapeutic effects in PD” and dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movements).
They concluded: “The studies reviewed here indicate that cannabinoids could influence the development and manifestations of PD and LID [L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia]. Several mechanisms, ranging from direct changes in critical neurotransmitters such as dopamine and glutamate to indirect anti-inflammatory effects, seem to be involved. Among the cannabinoids investigated so far, CBD appears one of the most promising drugs in preclinical trials. It is a ‘multi-targeted’ compound, with an extensive range of biological effects in different neuropsychiatric disorders. The specific role of this compound in the treatment of these disorders, however, remains to be established by large and comparative clinical trials.”
Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol and cannabinoid compounds as potential strategies for treating Parkinson’s disease and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia,” appears in Neurotoxicity Research. Additional information on cannabis and Parkinson’s disease is available online.