Sex Differences in Cannabis Use and Effects: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Cannabis Users Carrie Cuttler, Laurie K. Mischley, and Michelle Sexton Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2016, 1, 1, 166-175 DOI : 10.1089/can.2016.0010 Abstract Introduction : Despite known sex differences in the endocannabinoid system of animals, little attention has been paid to sex differences in human's cannabis use patterns and effects. The purpose of the present study was to examine sex differences in cannabis use patterns and effects in a large sample of recreational and medical cannabis users. Methods : A large sample (n=2374) of cannabis users completed an anonymous, online survey that assessed their cannabis use [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoid Actions on Neural Stem Cells : Implications for Pathophysiology Rui S. Rodrigues, Diogo M. Lourenço, Sara L. Paulo, Joana M. Mateus, Miguel F. Ferreira, Francisco M. Mouro, João B. Moreira, Filipa F. Ribeiro, Ana M. Sebastião and Sara Xapelli Molecules, 2019, 24, 1350, 59 pp. Abstract : With the increase of life expectancy, neurodegenerative disorders are becoming not only a health but also a social burden worldwide. However, due to the multitude of pathophysiological disease states, current treatments fail to meet the desired outcomes. Therefore, there is a need for new therapeutic strategies focusing on more integrated, personalized and effective approaches. The prospect [...]
Lire la suiteModulation of Astrocyte Activity by Cannabidiol, a Nonpsychoactive Cannabinoid. Ewa Kozela, Ana Juknat, and Zvi Vogel International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2017, 18, 1669, 20 pp. doi:10.3390/ijms18081669 PMID : 28788104 PMCID : PMC5578059 Abstract The astrocytes have gained in recent decades an enormous interest as a potential target for neurotherapies, due to their essential and pleiotropic roles in brain physiology and pathology. Their precise regulation is still far from understood, although several candidate molecules/systems arise as promising targets for astrocyte-mediated neuroregulation and/or neuroprotection. The cannabinoid system and its ligands have been shown to interact and affect activities of astrocytes. Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoid signalling in the immature brain: Encephalopathies and neurodevelopmental disorders Onintza Sagredo, Javier Palazuelos, Ana Gutierrez-Rodriguez, Valentina Satta, Ismael Galve-Roperh, Jose Martinez-Orgado Biochemical Pharmacology, 2018, 157, 85-96 DOI : 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.08.014 Abstract The endocannabinoid system exerts a crucial neuromodulatory role in many brain areas that is essential for proper regulation of neuronal activity. The role of cannabinoid signalling controlling neuronal activity in the adult brain is also evident when considering its contribution to adult brain insults or neurodegenerative diseases. In the context of brain genetic or acquired encephalopathies administration of cannabinoid-based molecules has demonstrated to exert symptomatic relief and hence, they are proposed as new potential [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoïd-Based Therapies and Brain Development: Potential Harmful Effect of Early Modulation of the Endocannabinoid System Patricia Schonhofen, Ivi Juliana Bristot, Jose Alexandre Crippa et al. CNS Drugs, 2018, 32(Suppl 1), 1-16 DOI : 10.1007/s40263-018-0550-4 Abstract The endocannabinoid retrograde signaling pathway is widely expressed in the central nervous system, where it plays major roles in regulating synaptic plasticity (excitatory and inhibitory) through long-term potentiation and long-term depression. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) components—cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and synthesis/degradation enzymes—are expressed and are functional from early developmental stages and throughout adolescent cortical development, regulating progenitor cell fate, neural differentiation, migration and survival. This may potentially confer increased vulnerability to [...]
Lire la suiteCannabis, Cannabidiol, and Epilepsy. Clinical Considerations and Practical Applications. A new frontier brings new questions and old dilemmas. Adrian L. Turner and M. Scott Perry Practical Neurology, October 2018, 31-35 Background As early as 12,000 BCE, texts from central Asia reported human use of cannabis for nonmedical indications including ropes, fibers, and cloth. Ancient Chinese manuscripts from approximately 10,000 years later give the first documented use of cannabis for medical purposes 1. Other early reports from ancient Mesopotamia, Persia, and India describe cannabis use for indications such as spasticity, depression, anxiety, and epilepsy.1,2 Cannabis for medicinal purposes was not scientifically studied until the 19th century. In 1840, [...]
Lire la suiteCannabis-associated symptom profiles in patients with first episode psychosis and population controls Diego Quattrone, Laura Ferraro, Giada Tripoli, Erika LaCascia, Harriet Quigley, EU-GEI group, Charlotte Gayer-Anderson, Peter B. Jones, James B. Kirkbride, Daniele La Barbera, Ilaria Tarricone, Michael T. Lynskey, Tom P. Freeman, Pak C. Sham, Alaistar Cardno, Evangelos Vassos, Jim van Os, Craig Morgan, Ulrich Reininghaus, Cathryn M. Lewis, Robin M. Murray, and Marta Di Forti mars 2019 DOI : 10.1101/577932 Abstract : Objective : The evidence is mixed on whether cannabis use is associated with a particular symptomatology in first episode psychosis (FEP) patients. The authors set out to investigate a) patterns of [...]
Lire la suiteNeuroimaging Studies of Acute Effects of THC and CBD in Humans and Animals : a Systematic Review A. Batalla, J.A. Crippa, G.F. Busatto, F.S. Guimarães, A.W. Zuardi, O. Valverde, Z. Atakan, P.K. McGuire, S. Bhattacharyya and R. Martín-Santos Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2014, 20, 2168-2185 DOI : 10.2174/13816128113199990432 Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247154314_Neuroimaging_Studies_of_Acute_Effects_of_THC_and_CBD_in_Humans_and_Animals_a_Systematic_Review [accessed May 19, 2019]. Abstract : Background : In recent years, growing concerns about the effects of cannabis use on mental health have renewed interest in cannabis research. In particular, there has been a marked increase in the number of neuroimaging studies of the effects of cannabinoids. We conducted a systematic review to assess the [...]
Lire la suiteCharacterization of Endocannabinoid-Metabolizing Enzymes in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells under Inflammatory Conditions Brittany N. Szafran, Jung Hwa Lee, Abdolsamad Borazjani, Peter Morrison, Grace Zimmerman, Kelly L. Andrzejewski, Matthew K. Ross and Barbara L.F. Kaplan Molecules, 2018, 23, 3167 DOI : 10.3390/molecules23123167 Abstract: Endocannabinoid-metabolizing enzymes are downregulated in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation in mice, which may serve as a negative feedback mechanism to increase endocannabinoid levels and reduce inflammation. Increased plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and decreased fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) activity in peripheral lymphocytes from individuals diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD) suggests that a similar negative feedback system [...]
Lire la suiteA Review of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Psychotherapy Ben Sessa, Laurie Higbed and David Nutt Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2019, Vol. 10, article 138 DOI : 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00138 Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom Abstract : This paper provides a brief review of the history, proposed pharmacological mechanisms, safety issues, and clinical applications of the medicine 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Most clinical MDMA research in patients to date has focused on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this review paper other potential therapeutic applications for MDMA therapy are described, including contemporary studies treating anxiety associated with autism and the authors’ ongoing study exploring the potential [...]
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