WHAT FUTURE FOR CANNABIS?April 16, 2003The potential therapeutic effects of cannabis are outlined in a review in the May issue of THE LANCET NEUROLOGY. The review is published in anticipation of results from randomised trials expected later this year investigating possible benefits of the drug for people with multiple sclerosis. The first cannabis-based medicines are currently being considered for license. Cannabis is the third most popular recreational drug after alcohol and tobacco. The history, biological/pharmacological effects, and current research investigating its potential therapeutic benefits are outlined by Alan Thompson and David Baker from the Institute of Neurology, London, UK, and colleagues. They comment how-in addition to the research into multiple sclerosis-basic research is enabling the discovery that some cannabis compounds have previously unknown qualities-notably that cannabis could play a role in preventing neurodegeneration with implications for the future management of disorders such as Huntington's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and motor-neuron diseases Alan Thompson concludes: "As we learn more about the pharmacological activities of compounds in cannabis and their biological targets outside the cannabinoid system, varieties of cannabis might be tailored to different diseases or used in combination with known drugs. Whatever the future holds, there are many challenges to be overcome before we view cannabinoids as routine medicine in neurological disorders." Lancet |
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| Related Alzheimer Disease Current Events and Alzheimer Disease News Articles Delirium in hospitalized adults: Situation critical, no relief available Every year as many as seven million adults in the United States experience delirium during hospitalization. New data demonstrate potential for early detection of Alzheimer's disease Data published in the June issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease demonstrated that minimally-invasive biospectroscopy was able to identify changes in oxidative stress (OS) levels in blood plasma, which may prove to be a useful biomarker in the early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Another McGill/JGH breakthrough opens door to early Alzheimer's diagnosis A new diagnostic technique which may greatly simplify the detection of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by researchers at McGill University and the affiliated Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital (JGH). Measuring brain atrophy in patients with mild cognitive impairment Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that a fully automated procedure called Volumetric MRI - which measures the "memory centers" of the brain and compares them to expected size - is effective in predicting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease. Commonly used medications may produce cognitive impairment in older adults Many drugs commonly prescribed to older adults for a variety of common medical conditions including allergies, hypertension, asthma, and cardiovascular disease appear to negatively affect the aging brain causing immediate but possibly reversible cognitive impairment, including delirium, in older adults. Commonly used ulcer drugs may offer treatment potential in Alzheimer's disease In a new study, published in the May issue of Elsevier's Experimental Neurology, scientists at the University of British Columbia have discovered that drugs commonly used to treat ulcers have significant neuroprotective properties, which appear to be enhanced when used in combination with ibuprofen, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug. New test for mysterious metabolic diseases developed at Stanford/Packard Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a much-needed way to monitor and find treatments for a mysterious and devastating group of metabolic diseases that arise from mutations in cells' fuel-burning mechanism. Recalibrating 'fight or flight' A Canadian/U.S. research team has reported a novel approach to stimulating recovery from chronic stress disorders. Details of the therapeutic model, which exploits the natural dynamics of the body's "fight or flight" system, are published January 23 in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Biology Vitamin B does not slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's A clinical trial led by Paul S. Aisen, M.D., professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, showed that high-dose vitamin B supplements did not slow the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. Protecting patient privacy the new fashioned way Protecting patient privacy has been recognized as the duty of health-care providers for about as long as doctors have seen patients. In 1996 that duty became a legal obligation when Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. More Alzheimer Disease Current Events and Alzheimer Disease News Articles |
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