A clinical trial on cannabis and dementia soon to be conducted in the UK

Some preliminary studies suggest that cannabis could be effective in treating Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is often accompanied by a form of dementia, a pathology with multiple symptoms. In a clinical trial funded by the UK Alzheimer's Research Centre, researchers will be testing cannabis to treat some of these symptoms.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a global and progressive weakening of the psychic faculties, affecting affectivity, autonomy and social behavior. It is characterized by disorders of language, attention, concentration, perception and memory, and occurs in particular (but not exclusively) in Alzheimer's disease (60 to 70% of cases). It should not be confused with insanity, which is more a psychiatric term, although it also leads to psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety-depressive disorders, agitation, paranoia or apathy.

Also known as a major neurocognitive disorder, dementia is due to a decline in cognitive brain functions, resulting in language disorders (aphasia) and gestural disorders (apraxia), the inability to recognize or identify objects despite intact sensory functions (agnosia) and the purbation of executive functions (The center will be experimenting with cannabis to alleviate some of these behavioral and psychiatric symptoms.) It is with the aim of alleviating some of these behavioral and psychiatric symptoms that the center is going to experiment with cannabis. This is the first study of its kind.

The study

The research center is funding a £300,000 clinical trial using Sativex^®, a drug already approved by European health authorities. It is normally used to treat spasticity disorders in multiple sclerosis. This is the only recognized and licensed use. The study Sativex^® for the Treatment of AgitatioN in Dementia (STAND) will test the suitability of its use to treat certain symptoms of dementia, including agitation.

Chris Albertyn from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London developed the idea for the trial, and will lead it under the supervision of Professor and Psychiatrist Dag Aarsland. The research team will recruit volunteers with Alzheimer's disease, aged between 55 and 90, living in care homes and displaying symptoms such as agitation and aggression. Volunteers will be given Sativex (or a placebo) for four weeks. If the results prove promising, the scientists plan to launch a larger trial.

 »People usually associate Alzheimer's disease with memory problems, but this is just one aspect of a more complex pathology that affects sufferers in different ways. Many Alzheimer's patients can become agitated or aggressive, and this can pose difficulties for sufferers and their loved ones,» explains Professor Dag Aarsland. »Current treatments for the behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia are very limited, and we desperately need to develop alternatives. Doctors sometimes prescribe antipsychotic drugs, and while these can have important benefits, they also carry serious risks of side effects.».

«With no new treatment for dementia in over 15 years, it's vital that we test a wide range of approaches to find effective ways of helping people living with the disease. The majority of dementia research is devoted to developing drugs that slow or halt the progression of the physical causes of the disease, but what matters is that the drug improves the patient's quality of life. The STAND study opens the door to a treatment that could relieve a range of distressing symptoms,» explains Dr. David Reynolds, CSO of the research center.

«This is a rigorous clinical trial with a drug that has been carefully prepared and will be tested in circumstances where the health and well-being of participants can be closely monitored. There is no conclusive evidence that cannabis in an uncontrolled environment can benefit people with dementia, and we know that the drug involves risks including short-term memory, cognitive impairment, coordination difficulties and a form of anxiety,» he adds.