São Paulo, Brazil: The daily use of CBD reduces dementia symptoms, according to placebo-controlled clinical trial data published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Brazilian researchers assessed the efficacy of CBD versus a placebo in 30 older patients with vascular dementia (VaD). Study participants consumed either 300mg doses of CBD or the placebo for four weeks.
CBD administration significantly reduced patients’ behavioral and psychiatric symptoms compared to placebo. CBD dosing did not adversely impact patients’ cognitive functioning, nor was it associated with any other significant side effects.
“CBD was well tolerated and effectively reduced BPSD [behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia] in VaD without cognitive or functional impairment,” the study’s authors concluded. “These findings warrant further trials with larger samples, extended durations, and dose-optimization strategies to confirm its therapeutic potential.”
According to the conclusions of a review paper published previously this year in the same journal, “Cannabinoids show promising potential in managing symptoms such as agitation and aggression in people with dementia, with an overall favorable safety and tolerability profile.”
Full text of the study, “Effects of cannabidiol on behavioral and psychological symptoms of vascular dementia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial,” appears in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.