Acceptance of pharmaceutical cannabis substitution by cannabis using patients with schizophrenia Jan van Amsterdam, Jojanneke Vervloet, Gerdien de Weert, Victor J. A. Buwalda, Anna E. Goudriaan and Wim van den Brink Harm Reduction Journal, 2018, 15, 47, 1-4. Doi : 10.1186/s12954-018-0253-7 Abstract Background : Cannabis-smoking patients with a psychotic disorder have poorer disease outcomes than non-cannabis-smoking patients with poorest outcomes in patients smoking high-potency cannabis (HPC) containing high Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and low cannabidiol (CBD). Quitting cannabis smoking or substitution of HPC by cannabis variants containing less THC and/or more CBD may benefit these patients. The present study explores whether daily HPC-smoking patients with schizophrenia accept smoking [...]
Lire la suiteThe Role of Cannabis within an Emerging Perspective on Schizophrenia Jegason P. Diviant, Jacob M. Vigil, and Sarah S. Stith Medicines, 2018, 5, 86, 1-11. doi : 10.3390/medicines5030086 Abstract Background : Approximately 0.5% of the population is diagnosed with some form of schizophrenia, under the prevailing view that the pathology is best treated using pharmaceutical medications that act on monoamine receptors. Methods : We briefly review evidence on the impact of environmental forces, particularly the effect of autoimmune activity, in the expression of schizophrenic profiles and the role of Cannabis therapy for regulating immunological functioning. Results : A review of the literature shows that phytocannabinoid consumption may [...]
Lire la suiteTransdermal Delivery of Cannabidiol Attenuates Binge Alcohol- Induced Neurodegeneration in a Rodent Model of an Alcohol Use Disorder Daniel J. Liput, Dana C. Hammell, Audra L. Stinchcomb, and Kimberly Nixon Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 2013, 111, 120–127. doi : 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.08.013 Abstract Excessive alcohol consumption, characteristic of alcohol use disorders, results in neurodegeneration and behavioral and cognitive impairments that are hypothesized to contribute to the chronic and relapsing nature of alcoholism. Therefore, the current study aimed to advance the preclinical development of transdermal delivery of cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of alcohol-induced neurodegeneration. In experiment 1, 1.0%, 2.5% and 5.0% CBD gels were evaluated for neuroprotection. [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelics : Where we are now, why we got here, what we must do Sean J. Belouin, Jack E. Henningfield Neuropharmacology, 2018, 142, 7e19 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.02.018 a b s t r a c t The purpose of this commentary is to provide an introduction to this special issue of Neuropharmacology with a historical perspective of psychedelic drug research, their use in psychiatric disorders, research restricting regulatory controls, and their recent emergence as potential breakthrough therapies for several brain-related disorders. It begins with the discovery of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and its promising development as a treatment for several types of mental illnesses during the 1940s. This was [...]
Lire la suitePsychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future James J.H. Rucker, Jonathan Iliff, David J. Nutt Neuropharmacology, 2018, 142, 200e218 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.12.040 a b s t r a c t The classical psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide and mescaline, were used extensively in psychiatry before they were placed in Schedule I of the UN Convention on Drugs in 1967. Experimentation and clinical trials undertaken prior to legal sanction suggest that they are not helpful for those with established psychotic disorders and should be avoided in those liable to develop them. However, those with so-called ‘psychoneurotic’ disorders sometimes benefited considerably from their tendency to [...]
Lire la suiteEfficacy of Ketamine in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders : A Systematic Review Jennifer L. Jones, Camilo F. Mateus, Robert J. Malcolm, Kathleen T. Brad and Sudie E. Back Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2018, 1-10. doi : 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00277 Abstract Background : Despite advances in behavioral and pharmacotherapy interventions, substance use disorders (SUDs) are frequently refractory to treatment. Glutamatergic dysregulation has received increasing attention as one common neuropathology across multiple substances of abuse. Ketamine is a potent N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamatergic receptor antagonist which has been found to be effective in the treatment of severe depression. Here we review the literature on the efficacy of ketamine in [...]
Lire la suiteFDA's Rapid Approval of Esketamine for Severe Depression Questioned Pauline Anderson Medscape, November 13, 2019 https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/921248 While some experts have hailed intranasal esketamine (Spravato, Janssen) as a "game changer" for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), others are concerned over the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) rapid approval of the drug. Dr Erick Turner In an editorial published online October 31 in Lancet Psychiatry, Erick H. Turner, MD, who sits on one of the FDA advisory committees that recommended approval of Spravato, said the drug did not meet standard criteria for FDA approval and that there was little evidence to support its safety and efficacy based on data from [...]
Lire la suiteA Chocolate a Day Keeps Depression Away ? Megan Brooks, Laurie Barclay Medscape, 13 / 09 /2019 https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/917963 Clinical Context Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary factors, such as eating chocolate, may affect depressive symptoms. The potential mood-enhancing properties of chocolate may relate to its orosensory properties, psychoactive ingredients, and activation of neural reward pathways. However, only a few studies have analyzed associations between chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms, with conflicting results. The goal of this analysis was to evaluate associations between chocolate consumption and depressive symptoms in a large, representative sample of US adults enrolled in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between [...]
Lire la suiteSafety and Efficacy of Medical Cannabis in Fibromyalgia Iftach Sagy, Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider, Mahmoud Abu-Shakra and Victor Novack Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2019, 8, 807 doi : 10.3390/jcm8060807 Abstract : Background : Chronic pain may be treated by medical cannabis. Yet, there is scarce evidence to support the role of medical cannabis in the treatment of fibromyalgia. The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics, safety, and eectiveness of medical cannabis therapy for fibromyalgia. Methods : A prospective observational study with six months follow-up period based on fibromyalgia patients who were willing to answer questionnaire in a specialized medical cannabis clinic between 2015 and 2017. Results : Among the [...]
Lire la suiteTreatment of Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome with Cannabis-Based Medicine : Results from a Retrospective Analysis and Online Survey Leonie M. Milosev, Nikolas Psathakis, Natalia Szejko, Ewgeni Jakubovski, and Kirsten R. Müller-Vahl Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2018.0050 Abstract Introduction : Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by motor and vocal tics and psychiatric comorbidities, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive behavior/disorder (OCB/OCD). From anecdotal reports and preliminary controlled studies, it is suggested that cannabis-based medicine (CBM) may improve tics and comorbidities in adults with GTS. This study was designed to further investigate efficacy and safety of [...]
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