Can marijuana restore memory? New study shows cannabis can reverse cognitive decline

[slimvictor]

CAN MARIJUANA RESTORE MEMORY? NEW STUDY SHOWS CANNABIS CAN REVERSE COGNITIVE DECLINE IN MICE

http://www.newsweek.com/cannabis-ma...tive-decline-596160?google_editors_picks=true


Marijuana appears to improve the memory and learning abilities of old mice. Scientists discovered low doses of its main psychoactive ingredient—cannabinoid THC—can reverse the age-related decline in cognitive abilities, a finding that could lead to scientists figuring out a way of slowing brain aging in humans.

Researchers are increasingly examining THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) for its potential medical benefits. In the U.K., Oxford University recently launched a £10 million ($13 million) program to “identify new medical therapies through research into the molecular, cellular and systems mechanisms of cannabinoids.” Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now approved several medications derived from THC.

Many scientists are currently looking at its potential use as a treatment for neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.

In a study published in Nature Medicine on Monday, researchers led by Andreas Zimmer, from the University of Bonn, Germany, have shown how THC can provide significant benefits to mice when it comes to age-related cognitive decline.

THC interacts with receptors in the brain’s endocannabinoid system, which is involved in many physiological functions, including pain, mood, memory and appetite. Previous research has also shown activity in the endocannabinoid system declines as we get older, indicating it plays a role in the progression of aging.

To study what effect THC has on the aging brain, scientists gave low doses of THC to mice at three different life stages—two months, 12 months and 18 months. The latter two groups represented mature and old age.

The team carried out three experiments. The first involved a water maze, where mice have to learn and then remember how to navigate their way to the end. In a control group, mature and old mice performed worse than the young group. However, when treated with THC, the older groups improved at the task, while the young mice fared far worse. (The study’s authors noted that this was in “good agreement with the known detrimental effects of THC on cognition in young animals and humans.”

Next, they created a task where mice had to locate a specific object. Older mice treated with THC performed to the same standard as young mice that had not been given the drug. A third test relating to partner recognition also showed THC led to improved memory in mature and older mice. “Together, 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.

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[Jabberwocky]

Dun DUn DUN!

 

[slimvictor]

Weed Microdosing Mice Study Brings Great News, But There's a Catch

Microdosing weed has become a minor trend with humans lately, but the science on its actual benefits is fairly shaky. Now, in a newly published study by a group of scientists in Germany, evidence shows that older mice may experience a reversal of brain aging and a restoration of the ability to learn.

Published today in the journal Nature Medicine, the study finds that cannabis did not have an evident beneficial effect on the cognitive abilities of young mice (2-months-old). But in middle-aged (12-months-old) and elderly (18-months-old) mice, researchers observed what team leader Andreas Zimmerman calls “a very robust and profound effect.”

To test their hypothesis, researchers regularly gave all three age groups of mice a dose of cannabis that would be too small for them to get high. They did this for a month before putting their subjects to the test. They observed the abilities of the mice to run mazes and how well they recognized each other. What emerged was surprising. The control group of mice that hadn’t received a dose of cannabis performed as expected—the young mice outperformed the middle-aged and elderly subjects across the board. But in the group of microdosing mice, the middle-aged and elderly mice were able to do as well in the tests as the young mice in the control group.

That brings us to the catch. Younger mice that were given small amounts of THC demonstrated lower performance capabilities. This falls in line with studies that have found adolescent humans experience a decline in their attention, learning, and memory abilities after cannabis consumption. The jury is still out on whether or not those effects are long term. Most studies have also focused on dosages that provide a psychoactive effect.

As the group continued their research, they found that THC caused an increase in connections between brain cells in the hippocampus. That region of the brain is associated with memory formation. Additionally, they note that the endocannabinoid system is more active in young mice and the THC could be overstimulating it. That would account for the decline in attention in the younger mice. But middle-aged and elderly mice have a less active endocannabinoid system, so the weed might just be leveling them out.

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http://gizmodo.com/weed-microdosing-mice-study-brings-great-news-but-ther-1795037913