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A substance that gives punch seems to reduce the brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease – at least in mice.
In mice genetically engineered to develop symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's disease, animals given a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol for six weeks performed memory tests on healthy mice, scientists reported. at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego.
Meanwhile, mice given a placebo instead of THC lost the ability to remember where to find the shallow dot in a puddle.
The treated mice also lost fewer brain cells and their brains contained 20% fewer sticky plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, said researcher Yvonne Bouter of the Goettingen University Medical Center in Goettingen, Germany. Bouter presented the results, which were not published in a peer-reviewed journal, at a press conference.
The findings suggest that "cannabis could be beneficial for Alzheimer's disease," Bouter said.
But even if that's true, she says, that does not mean that the growing number of healthy older people who smoke marijuana should celebrate by lighting up. "We did the same experiment on healthy mice," she said, "and they had learning problems."
"Should you give Grandfather THC?" You should probably be cautious, "said Michael Taffe of the Scripps Research Institute, who moderated the press conference. "You could have something prejudicial, if it does not translate to humans, or if the person did not have the disorder."
Other researchers at the press conference provided more reasons for caution. They presented studies on rodents showing that exposure to THC in the uterus, in adolescence and even in the brain of a healthy adult tends to impair memory and thought.
So would not the best way to answer questions be to study people?
The researchers said they were unaware of any ongoing studies on the effect of marijuana compounds on people with Alzheimer's disease.
"There is no way to do that," said Jamie Roitman, associate professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who presented a study on cannabis use in adolescent rats. Getting approval for any study involving people and compounds related to marijuana is "very difficult," she said, despite the fact that the drug is now legal in many states.
When it comes to understanding the effects of marijuana on humans, Dr. Roitman said, "Experience goes far beyond science."
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