Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Researchers have found that a small, daily dose of cannabis could slow, or even reverse, cognitive decline in old age. THC, the chemical in cannabis that makes people feel 'high' has been found to improve memory and learning in older mice, as part of a new study investigating the ageing process of the brain.
Researchers tested the effects of the drug on mice at several different stages in life, finding that that lower doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) impaired that of younger mice, but boosted the brain performance in older rodents.
Dr Andras Bilkei-Gorzo Bilkei-Gorzo and his team at the University of Bonn in Germany monitored the brain performance in mice aged two months, 12 months and 18 months.
After studying the cognitive function of the older mice who had been given a daily dose of cannabis, the researchers found that their memory and learning skills matched those of young mice who had not been given anything.
As part of the study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, mice aged two months and 18 months were tested to see how fast they could solve a water maze puzzle, and how quickly they could register familiar objects.
Without a daily dose of THC, the younger mice completed the tests with ease, while the older ones struggled to recognise mice they had previously met and solve the mental challenge.
But administering THC notably impacted both groups. The performance of the younger mice dramatically declined, while older mice improved so greatly that their learning and memory matched those of healthy drug-free young mice.
The benefits of the drug in older mice, researchers found, lasted for weeks after they had stopped consuming THC.
Bilkei-Gorzo, who led the study, told The Independent: "THC restored the cognitive ability of the old mice to the level of the young ones."
He explained that low doses of the drug appeared to reverse the signs of old age and mental decline. "Giving THC artificially activates the system in the old [mice]. It can restore signalling to a normal level," he said.
"If you do the very same treatment, with the same dosage, to young mice, you overdrive the whole system, as it's at a much higher level than it should be."
"These results reveal a profound, long-lasting improvement of cognitive performance resulting from a low dose of THC treatment in mature and old animals," the scientists write in the journal.
Researchers now hope that this exciting development could benefit the treatment of dementia and other memory problems in older people in the future - although they say that further research is needed.
The research group is now keen to test the theory on humans, with a small-scale study on subjects aged 60 to 70 planned for later this year.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Daily dose of cannabis could reverse the effects of old age, study suggests
Author: Liz Connor
Contact: Contact Evening Standard | London Evening Standard
Photo Credit: Evening Standard Limited
Website: London News | London Evening Standard - London's newspaper
Researchers tested the effects of the drug on mice at several different stages in life, finding that that lower doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) impaired that of younger mice, but boosted the brain performance in older rodents.
Dr Andras Bilkei-Gorzo Bilkei-Gorzo and his team at the University of Bonn in Germany monitored the brain performance in mice aged two months, 12 months and 18 months.
After studying the cognitive function of the older mice who had been given a daily dose of cannabis, the researchers found that their memory and learning skills matched those of young mice who had not been given anything.
As part of the study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, mice aged two months and 18 months were tested to see how fast they could solve a water maze puzzle, and how quickly they could register familiar objects.
Without a daily dose of THC, the younger mice completed the tests with ease, while the older ones struggled to recognise mice they had previously met and solve the mental challenge.
But administering THC notably impacted both groups. The performance of the younger mice dramatically declined, while older mice improved so greatly that their learning and memory matched those of healthy drug-free young mice.
The benefits of the drug in older mice, researchers found, lasted for weeks after they had stopped consuming THC.
Bilkei-Gorzo, who led the study, told The Independent: "THC restored the cognitive ability of the old mice to the level of the young ones."
He explained that low doses of the drug appeared to reverse the signs of old age and mental decline. "Giving THC artificially activates the system in the old [mice]. It can restore signalling to a normal level," he said.
"If you do the very same treatment, with the same dosage, to young mice, you overdrive the whole system, as it's at a much higher level than it should be."
"These results reveal a profound, long-lasting improvement of cognitive performance resulting from a low dose of THC treatment in mature and old animals," the scientists write in the journal.
Researchers now hope that this exciting development could benefit the treatment of dementia and other memory problems in older people in the future - although they say that further research is needed.
The research group is now keen to test the theory on humans, with a small-scale study on subjects aged 60 to 70 planned for later this year.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Daily dose of cannabis could reverse the effects of old age, study suggests
Author: Liz Connor
Contact: Contact Evening Standard | London Evening Standard
Photo Credit: Evening Standard Limited
Website: London News | London Evening Standard - London's newspaper
