October 9, 2024
A small study suggests that one of the main active ingredients in cannabis, THC, may help to relieve agitation in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found that a synthetic form of the marijuana derivative reduced agitation levels in people with Alzheimer’s by an average of 30 percent. The drug appeared to produce similar calming effects as powerful psychiatric drugs currently used to treat agitation but with few of the serious side effects, such as delirium, seizures or increased risk of premature death.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine presented the findings at the International Psychogeriatric Association conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The study used a pill form of synthetic THC called dronabinol. The drug is currently approved by the FDA to treat nausea in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy but has not been approved specifically for use in Alzheimer’s patients. Because the findings were presented at a medical conference and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, the results should be considered as preliminary. More work is needed to determine whether THC or other substances in marijuana may provide benefits for those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Agitation remains a common behavioral problem in people with Alzheimer’s, affecting as many as three out of four people with advanced disease. Symptoms of agitation can include pacing, restlessness, yelling or hitting, presenting special challenges for caregivers looking after someone with Alzheimer’s. Such behaviors are a common reason why those with Alzheimer’s can no longer live at home and must be placed in a nursing home or assisted-living facility.
“It is the agitation, not the memory loss, that often drives individuals with dementia to the emergency department and long-term care facilities,” said study author Dr. Brent Forester of Tufts Medicine in Boston. “Dronabinol has the potential to both reduce health care costs and make an important, positive impact on caregivers’ mental and physical health.”
Alzheimer’s patients who exhibit agitation and other behavioral problems are too often given powerful psychiatric medications with serious and potentially deadly side effects, experts caution. Other studies have shown that safer non-drug therapies like light therapy, massage, touch therapy, exercise and music therapy — often used in combination —can be an effective way to reduce aggression and agitation in people with Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in the earlier stages of the disease.
The current findings suggest that a cannabis derivative may also be useful in the repertoire of anti-agitation care. For the study, the researchers recruited 75 men and women with Alzheimer’s-related agitation from five medical centers. Using standard psychiatric measures, their agitation was ranked from 0 to 4, with 4 being the most agitated.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 5 milligrams of the synthetic THC in pill forms or a placebo pill twice daily for three weeks. They were then retested for agitation levels.
The researchers found that agitation levels decreased by an average of 30 percent in those who received the drug compared to those who got a placebo pill. They also found that dronabinol appeared to be relatively safe and well tolerated compared to current drugs for agitation.
“Results like this are encouraging,” said study author Dr. Paul Rosenberg of Johns Hopkins, adding that drug may present another potential “tool in our efforts to improve the care of our loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease.” The authors say that more research is needed to confirm the results and that the findings do not mean that family members should start using widely available cannabis products to treat loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease.
Medical marijuana products are available in 38 states and the District of Columbia, and many states also allow recreational use of marijuana beverages, edibles, and smoking products. Many health claims are made for these products, but there is no evidence that they prevent or slow the course of Alzheimer’s disease. A small number of studies, including this one, suggest that marijuana products may have benefits for the behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but more study is needed.
Anyone considering marijuana products for a loved one with Alzheimer’s should discuss their use with a doctor. Potential benefits and risks should be carefully weighed, including potential interactions with other medications someone may be taking. No cannabis products are currently approved for use specifically to treat or manage Alzheimer’s disease and its symptoms.
By ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by Eric Schmidt, PhD, of The Fisher Center lab at The Rockefeller University.
Source: Brent Forester, MD; Paul Rosenberg, MD; et al: “Study: Synthetic THC May Reduce Agitation in Patients with Alzheimer’s Dementia.” Presented at the International Psychogeriatric Association conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 26, 2024.
