In July 2018, Canadian researchers from Sunnybrook Health
Sciences Centre presented some encouraging data which suggested that a
synthetic form of cannabis, called nabilone, may help calm agitated patients
with Alzheimer’s.
Approximately one-quarter of patients with advanced
Alzheimer’s experience agitation – where they can become angry, restless, and
verbally or physically abusive – and thus are often the primary reason that patients
are sent to hospitals or institutions. Current treatments for agitation use
anti-psychotic drugs; however, these drugs have only modest effects and are associated
with a number of side effects, such as higher risks of strokes, falls, and
death.
The team of scientists at Sunnybrook tested the efficacy of the
synthetic cannabis in 38 patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s who had
noticeable agitation over a 14-week trial. They found that while patients were
on the nabilone, both agitation and overall behavioral symptoms improved significantly,
in comparison to the placebo. In fact, “They wouldn’t strike out, they wouldn’t
get stiff when care was being provided. They were easier to examine and were
calmer and more comfortable,” said Dr. Nathan Herrmann – a psychiatrist and
scientist with Sunnybrook and the University of Toronto. Moreover, the synthetic
cannabis seemed to also have a positive effect on caregivers by reducing their
stress of looking after the patient.
The Canadian researchers have said that their next steps are
to plan a larger study with more patients and to determine the correct dose of
nabilone for patients, in order to minimize sedation.
More information about Sunnybrook’s research can be found
here: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/form-of-cannabis-may-have-calming-effect-on-agitated-alzheimer-s-patients-1.4025475
