Marijuana As Medicine? The Science Beyond the Controversy (2001) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Marijuana and Neurological Disorders
Marijuana and Neurological Disorders
Pages 115-123
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 115... ...
And since conventional treatments for movement disorders, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease leave much to be desired, no source of potential remedies should be overlooked. MOVEMENT DISORDERS This group of neurological diseases is caused by defects in the basal ganglia, clusters of nerve cells in the brain that control muscular activity.
|
From page 116... ...
Botulinum toxin a bacterial compound that also causes food poisoning also blocks muscle stimulation; it produces few side effects but must be injected directly into the affected muscles. Anticholinergic drugs such as trihexyphenidyl (Artane)
|
From page 117... ...
Since anxiety and stress appear to worsen involuntary movements in many patients with Huntington's disease and since marijuana reduces those feelings in most users, some have proposed it as an alternative to existing medications. Animal studies suggest that cannabinoids might suppress choreic movements, presumably by stimulating receptors in the basal ganglia (see Chapter 2~.
|
From page 118... ...
The study was prompted by a patient's report that smoking marijuana reduced tremor, but when researchers tested the drug on five additional patients with tremor, they found no evidence of improvement. On the other hand, conventional medications, including levodopa, successfully reduced tremor in all five patients.5 Unlike Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases, Tourette's syndrome typically appears during childhood.
|
From page 119... ...
Thus, with the possible exception of spasticity in multiple sclerosis, there is little reason to recommend additional clinical trials of marijuana or cannabinoids for movement disorders, the IOM study team concluded. That is not to say that more extensive animal studies will never provide stronger evidence in favor of human trials.
|
From page 120... ...
EPLEPSY A chronic seizure disorder, epilepsy affects about 2 million Americans and an estimated 30 million people worldwide. Symptoms include recurrent sudden attacks of altered consciousness, convulsions, and other uncontrolled movement, apparently brought on by the simultaneous stimulation of numerous nerve cells.
|
From page 121... ...
A ZHEMERS DISEASE An estimated 4 million Americans currently have Alzheimer's dementia, a number that is likely to grow as the country's population ages. Alzheimer's is an incurable progressive disease of the nervous system that typically begins with memory loss and behavioral changes.
|
From page 122... ...
for six weeks, followed by six weeks of a placebo. Researchers found that the drug produced significant weight gain and reduced disturbed behavior without causing serious side effects.~° Most of the patients were severely demented, and their memories were also seriously impaired.
|
From page 123... ...
1997. "Effects of dronabinol on anorexia and disturbed behavior in patients with Alzheimer's disease." International journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 12:913-919.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.