London, United Kingdom: The oral administration of a standardized formulation of THC and CBD significantly reduces agitation in patients with late-stage Alzheimer’s disease, according to clinical trial data presented last week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London.
Researchers assessed the efficacy of the cannabis intervention versus a placebo in a cohort of 120 hospice patients with advanced Alzheimer’s-induced dementia. After 12 weeks, agitation eased for nearly 90 percent of patients receiving treatment.
“These trial results were extremely impressive and showed a level of response not seen before in clinical trials related to dementia,” the study’s co-lead investigator said. “Rarely do we see close to 90 percent of patients in a trial respond positively to a new medication.”
The trial’s findings are consistent with those of other studies assessing the efficacy of cannabis-based interventions in patients suffering from AD-induced agitation. According to a recent meta-analysis of seven randomized clinical trials, “cannabinoid-based therapies showed lower neuropsychiatric symptom and agitation scores than placebo in patients with moderate-to-severe AD.”
Further information on the trial is available from The LiBBY Study. Additional information on cannabinoids and Alzheimer’s disease is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.