Anticonvulsive Properties of Cannabidiol in a Model of Generalized Seizure Are Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Dependent Royston A. Gray, Colin G. Stott, Nicholas A. Jones, Vincenzo Di Marzo, and Benjamin J. Whalley Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2019,1-5. Doi : 10.1089/can.2019.0028 Abstract Introduction : Highly purified cannabidiol (CBD) (approved as Epidiolex in the United States) has demonstrated efficacy with an acceptable safety profile in patients with Lennox–Gastaut or Dravet syndrome in four randomized controlled trials. CBD possesses affinity for many target classes with functional effects relevant to the pathophysiology of many disease types, including epilepsy. Although the mechanism of action of CBD underlying the reduction [...]
Lire la suiteNeuroprotective Effect of Cannabidiol Against Hydrogen Peroxide in Hippocampal Neuron Culture Jungnam Kim, Ji Yu Choi, Jeongyeon Seo, and Insung S. Choi Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2020,Volume X, Number X, Doi : 10.1089/can.2019.0102 Abstract Introduction: Reports on the neurotoxic and neuroprotective effects of cannabidiol (CBD) have not been in complete accord, showing different and somewhat contradictory results depending upon the brain cell types and experimental conditions employed. This work systematically examines the neuroprotective capability of CBD against oxidative stress (i.e., hydrogen peroxide [H2O2]) as well as its toxicity profile in the in vitro culture platform of primary hippocampal neurons. Materials and Methods: The low cell-density (100 neurons [...]
Lire la suiteUse of Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Anxiety : A Short Synthesis of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evidence Madison Wright, Patricia Di Ciano, and Bruna Brands Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2019, Volume X, Number X, 1-6. Doi : 10.1089/can.2019.0052 Abstract Anxiety disorders have the highest lifetime prevalence of any mental illness worldwide, leading to high societal costs and economic burden. Current pharmacotherapies for anxiety disorders are associated with adverse effects and low efficacy. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a constituent of the Cannabis plant, which has potential therapeutic properties for various indications. After the recent legalization of cannabis, CBD has drawn increased attention as a potential treatment, as [...]
Lire la suiteDown-Regulation of Cannabinoid Type 1 (CB1) Receptor and its Downstream Signaling Pathways in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Valeria Tutino, Maria Gabriella Caruso, Valentina De Nunzio, Dionigi Lorusso, Nicola Veronese, Isabella Gigante, Maria Notarnicola and Gianluigi Giannelli Cancers, 2019, 11, 708, 1-14. doi :10.3390/cancers11050708 Abstract : Changes in the regulation of endocannabinoid production, together with an altered expression of their receptors are hallmarks of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Although several studies have been conducted to understand the biological role of the CB1 receptor in cancer, little is known about its involvement in the metastatic process of CRC. The aim of this study was to investigate the [...]
Lire la suiteCannabidiol Improves Cognitive Impairment and Reverses Cortical Transcriptional Changes Induced by Ketamine, in Schizophrenia-Like Model in Rats Ewa Kozela & Martyna Krawczyk & Tomasz Kos & Ana Juknat & Zvi Vogel & Piotr Popik Molecular Neurobiology, 2019, Doi : 10.1007/s12035-019-01831-2 Abstract Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotropic cannabinoid, demonstrates antipsychotic-like and procognitive activities in humans and in animal models of schizophrenia. The mechanisms of these beneficial effects of CBD are unknown. Here, we examined behavioral effects of CBD in a pharmacological model of schizophrenia-like cognitive deficits induced by repeated ketamine (KET) administration. In parallel, we assessed transcriptional changes behind CBD activities in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the [...]
Lire la suiteMicrodosing psychedelics: Demographics, practices, and psychiatric comorbidities Daniel Rosenbaum, Cory Weissman, Thomas Anderson, Rotem Petranker, Le-Anh Dinh-Williams, Katrina Hui and Emma Hapke Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2020, 1-11. doi.org/10.1177/0269881120908004 Abstract Rationale : Microdosing psychedelics – the practice of consuming small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of substances such as LSD or psilocybin – is gaining attention in popular media but remains poorly characterized. Contemporary studies of psychedelic microdosing have yet to report the basic psychiatric descriptors of psychedelic microdosers. Objectives : To examine the practices and demographics of a population of psychedelic microdosers – including their psychiatric diagnoses, prescription medications, and recreational substance use patterns – to develop a foundation [...]
Lire la suitePosttraumatic Growth After MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Ingmar Gorman, Alexander B. Belser, Lisa Jerome, Colin Hennigan, Ben Shechet, Scott Hamilton, Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Amy Emerson, and Allison A. Feduccia Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2020, 1-10. Doi : 10.1002/jts.22479 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)–assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been shown to significantly reduce clinical symptomatology, but posttraumatic growth (PTG), which consists of positive changes in self-perception, interpersonal relationships, or philosophy of life, has not been studied with this treatment. Participant data (n = 60) were pooled from three Phase 2 clinical studies employing triple-blind crossover designs. Participants were required to meet DSM-IV-R criteria for [...]
Lire la suiteBreakthrough for Trauma Treatment: Safety and Efficacy of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Compared to Paroxetine and Sertraline Allison A. Feduccia, Lisa Jerome, Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Amy Emerson, Michael C. Mithoefer and Rick Doblin Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2019, Volume 10, Article 650. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00650 Unsuccessfully treated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious and lifethreatening disorder. Two medications, paroxetine hydrochloride and sertraline hydrochloride, are approved treatments for PTSD by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Analyses of pharmacotherapies for PTSD found only small to moderate effects when compared with placebo. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) obtained Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) from the FDA for 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine [...]
Lire la suiteCannabis for pediatric epilepsy : protocol for a living systematic review Jesse Elliott, Deirdre DeJean, Tammy Clifford, Doug Coyle, Beth Potter, Becky Skidmore, Christine Alexander, Alexander E. Repetski, Bláthnaid McCoy and George A. Wells Systematic Reviews, 2018, 7, 95 doi : 10.1186/s13643-018-0761-2 Abstract Background : Pediatric epilepsy, including treatment-resistant forms, has a major effect on the quality of life, morbidity, and mortality of affected children. Interest has been growing in the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for pediatric epilepsy, yet there has been no comprehensive review of the benefits and harms of cannabis use in this population. In this systematic review, we will [...]
Lire la suiteRole of the 5-HT2A Receptor in Self- and Other-Initiated Social Interaction in Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Induced States : A Pharmacological fMRI Study Katrin H. Preller, Leonhard Schilbach, Thomas Pokorny, Jan Flemming, Erich Seifritz, and Franz X. Vollenweider The Journal of Neuroscience, 2018, 38, (14), 3603–3611. Doi : 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1939-17.2018 Distortions of self-experience are critical symptoms of psychiatric disorders and have detrimental effects on social interactions. In light of the immense need for improved and targeted interventions for social impairments, it is important to better understand the neurochemical substrates of social interaction abilities. We therefore investigated the pharmacological and neural correlates of self- and other-initiated social interaction. In [...]
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