Study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the Efficacy of cannabis-based Medicine Extract in slowing the disease progression of Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis or motor neurone Disease : the EMERALD trial Berzenn Urbi, Simon Broadley, Richard Bedlack, Ethan Russo, Arman Sabet British Medical Journal Open, 2019, 9, e029449. doi : 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029449 Abstract Introduction : Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure and with an average life expectancy of 3–5 years post diagnosis. The use of complementary medicine such as medicinal cannabis in search for a potential treatment or cure is common in ALS. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy [...]
Lire la suiteAntidepressive and anxiolytic effects of ayahuasca : a systematic literature review of animal and human studies Rafael G. dos Santos, Flavia L. Osorio, José Alexandre S. Crippa, Jaime E.C. Hallak Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 2016, 38, 65–72 doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1701 ABSTRACT Objective : To conduct a systematic literature review of animal and human studies reporting anxiolytic or antidepressive effects of ayahuasca or some of its isolated alkaloids (dimethyltryptamine, harmine, tetrahydroharmine, and harmaline). Methods : Papers published until 3 April 2015 were retrieved from the PubMed, LILACS and SciELO databases following a comprehensive search strategy and using a predetermined set of criteria for article selection. Results : Five hundred and [...]
Lire la suiteEmerging Evidence for Cannabis’ Role in Opioid Use Disorder Beth Wiese and Adrianne R. Wilson-Poe Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 2018, Volume 3.1,179-189. Doi : 10.1089/can.2018.0022 Abstract Introduction : The opioid epidemic has become an immense problem in North America, and despite decades of research on the most effective means to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), overdose deaths are at an all-time high, and relapse remains pervasive. Discussion : Although there are a number of FDA-approved opioid replacement therapies and maintenance medications to help ease the severity of opioid withdrawal symptoms and aid in relapse prevention, these medications are not risk free nor are they successful for [...]
Lire la suiteModulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” Katrin H. Preller and Franz X. Vollenweider Frontiers in Psychiatry, décembre 2019 doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00881 Social cognition is a fundamental ability in human everyday lives. Deficits in social functioning also represent a core aspect of many psychiatric disorders. Yet, despite its significance, deficits in social cognition skills are insufficiently targeted by current treatments. Hallucinogens and entactogens have been shown to have the potential to modulate social processing. This article reviews the literature on the influence of hallucinogens and entactogens on social processing in controlled experimental studies in humans and elucidates the underlying neurobiological and neuropharmacological mechanisms. Furthermore, [...]
Lire la suiteMolecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of ketamine enantiomers and its metabolites Chun Yang, Jianjun Yang, Ailin Luo and Kenji Hashimoto Translational Psychiatry, 2019, 9, 280 doi : 10.1038/s41398-019-0624-1 Abstract Although the robust antidepressant effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine in patients with treatment-resistant depression are beyond doubt, the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying its antidepressant effects remain unknown. NMDAR inhibition and the subsequent α-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) activation are suggested to play a role in the antidepressant effects of ketamine. Although (R)-ketamine is a less potent NMDAR antagonist than (S)-ketamine, (R)-ketamine has shown more marked and longer-lasting antidepressant-like [...]
Lire la suiteIs CBD Really Non-Psychoactive ? Jahan Marcu, Ph.D., Ali S. Matthews, and Martin A. Lee On May 17, 2016 https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cbd-really-non-psychoactive Data shows that CBD interacts directly with the CB1 cannabinoid receptor in therapeutically relevant ways while modulating THC's psychoactive effects. Cannabidiol and the CB1 Receptor Understanding how cannabidiol (CBD) exerts its myriad effects on human physiology is a work in progress. Thus far, scientists have identified more than 60 different molecular pathways through which CBD operates. It is known, for example, that CBD acts through multiple receptor-independent channels and it also binds to various receptors in the brain, including serotonin 5HT1A (which contributes to CBD’s [...]
Lire la suiteCBD User's Guide Project CBD On March 13, 2018 (Updated on March 25, 2019) https://www.projectcbd.org/how-to/cbd-users-guide Project CBD has created a beginner’s guide for cannabidiol & cannabis therapeutics to address key questions of CBD users. A Beginner’s Guide to CBD & Cannabis Therapeutics In 2009, a handful of CBD-rich cannabis strains were discovered serendipitously in Northern California, America’s cannabis breadbasket, where certified patients could access medical marijuana legally. Thus began a great laboratory experiment in democracy involving CBD-rich cannabis therapeutics. The advent of whole plant CBD-rich oil as a grassroots therapeutic option has changed the national conversation about cannabis. It’s no longer a question of whether [...]
Lire la suiteCannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy – an updated review Marcin Kopka Journal of Epileptology, 2019, 27, Doi : 10.2478/joepi-2019-0004 SUMMARY Introduction : It is estimated that 30% of people with epilepsy continue to have seizures despite treatment. The approval of many new antiseizure drugs during the past two decades has not substantially reduced the proportion of patients with medically refractory disease. Patients need new treatments. Many families choose to try alternative therapy options. An abundance of preclinical evidence and anecdotal human data support the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy. Aim : The present review paper aims to present the current state of [...]
Lire la suiteLa FDA accélère la recherche sur la psilocybine pour les troubles dépressifs majeurs Aurélien Bernard Newsweed, 28 novembre 2019 https://www.newsweed.fr/fda-accelere-recherche-psilocybine-depression/ La Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a catégorisé les champignons hallucinogènes en tant que « thérapie révolutionnaire » pour les troubles dépressifs majeurs (MDD), une démarche qui accélérera la recherche de nouveaux médicaments à partir de psilocybine. Cette classification a été créée en 2012 pour encadrer les recherches et le développement produit de médicaments à partir de susbtances ayant un potentiel fort par rapport aux options existantes et pour des patients atteints de maladie grave ou qui met leur vie en danger. La première recherche [...]
Lire la suiteAcceptance 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 [...]
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