Cannabis: a source of youth for the brain of older adults?



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Cannabis, until recently denigrated as a drug, is gradually becoming known as a multi-purpose drug. Meanwhile, its badgesic effect is known. It is said that it relieves certain psychic affections and that it now also turns out to rejuvenate the brain.

This is at least the result of a study in mice conducted by researchers at the Institute of Molecular Psychiatry of the University of Bonn. This revealed that with a small dose of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis, improves the brain performance of older rodents, as reported in the scientific journal Nature Medicine .

Andreas Zimmer, director of the Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, expects that similar results can also be obtained in humans. To find out, a clinical study with older people will soon be done. The researchers intend to determine if THC can have a positive influence on brain function in patients with dementia or mild Alzheimer's disease.

Rejuvenating Treatment

The so-called endocannabinoid system influences the central nervous system. aging process. The activity of this system decreases in animals of this age, which coincides with the typical symptoms of old age. The consequences are osteoporosis, skin wrinkles and a decrease in learning and memory performance. Researchers hope that cannabis can give new impetus to the endocannabinoid system

In this study, THC was administered to elderly mice. And, these could no longer be differentiated from the young. An experiment was conducted with mice that, before ingesting cannabis, had difficulty recognizing congeners that were familiar to them and reacted aggressively or frightened.

Young mice, with better memory, were rather relaxed before others. known mice. After receiving THC, older mice also became familiar with their congeners. That is to say, they seemed to recognize them, explains Andras Bilkei-Gorzo, colleague of Zimmer.

Mice and Humans

  Symbolbild Wissenschaft Maus (imago / Westend61)

In Bonn, scientists have been investigating for 15 years, mainly in mice, the receptors on which cannabis is active. "Humans have an endocannabinoid system very similar to mice," Bilkei-Gorzo told DW, noting that the receptors are in the same region of the brain, which is why cannabis almost always acts the same way [19659002TherearealsoencouragingsignsinIsrael:inaretirementhomecannabiswasadministeredtoresidentssufferingfrominsomniaandlackofappetiteandthereforemanyofthemwerealsomorementallyactiveafterwards


  DW


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