“To test whether cannabinoids reduce urge incontinence episodes without affecting voiding in patients with multiple sclerosis. This was part of the multicentre trial of the Cannabinoids in Multiple Sclerosis (CAMS) study.
Both active treatments showed significant effects over placebo.
“To test the effectiveness and long term safety of cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis (MS), in a follow up to the main Cannabinoids in Multiple Sclerosis (CAMS) study.
There was suggestive evidence for treatment effects of Δ9-THC on some aspects of disability.
There were no major safety concerns.
Overall, patients felt that these drugs were helpful in treating their disease.
These data provide limited evidence for a longer term treatment effect of cannabinoids.”
“The American Academy of Neurology published an evidence-based systematic review of randomized controlled trials using marijuana (Cannabis sativa) or cannabinoids in neurologic disorders.
Several cannabinoids showed effectiveness or probable effectiveness for spasticity, central pain, and painful spasms in multiple sclerosis.
The review justifies insurance coverage for dronabinol and nabilone for these indications.
Many insurance companies already cover these medications for other indications.
It is unlikely that the review will alter coverage for herbal marijuana.
Currently, no payers cover the costs of herbal medical marijuana because it is illegal under federal law and in most states.
Cannabinoid preparations currently available by prescription may have a role in other neurologic conditions, but quality scientific evidence is lacking at this time.”
“Medical marijuana is a justifiable treatment for spasticity in patients with MS.
Interviews indicate that many patients choose marijuana over other medicines because they experience minimal side effects and rapid improvements in motor functioning…
Compared to the steroids, tranquilizers, and sedatives usually prescribed for MS patients, marijuana is remarkably safe and benign…
There is a lack of evidence for long-term risks associated with marijuana use. The short-term risks are minimal and short-lived.
Studies verify the positive relationship between medical marijuana use and reduced spasticity.
Voters are realizing the cruelty associated with robbing a terminally or chronically ill patient from the medicine that most relieves their pain.
MS is a chronic disease that can lead to severe pain and disability if untreated. For these reasons, medical marijuana should be available to patients who understand the risks associated with its use.
Until medical research develops an equally effective oral drug, marijuana will remain a reasonable option for patients suffering from MS.”
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/medicalmarijuana.htm
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/multiple-sclerosis-ms/
“The endocannabinoid system was discovered in 1988 but has received little attention for its potential therapeutic possibilities.
That has started to change, and since 2000, a significant number of clinical trials of cannabinoids, principally for the control of spasticity in multiple sclerosis, have been undertaken. These studies have been difficult because of the nature of the disease and have involved patients for whom other therapies have failed or proved inadequate.
This paper outlines the background to the use of cannabinoids available and discusses the principles of practice associated with their safe use.
The focus has been on nabiximols, being the most studied and the only cannabinoid that has been both adequately researched for use in multiple sclerosis and granted a license by the regulators. However, what has emerged is that the effect for many patients can be much wider than just control of spasticity.
Within and outside of neurology there seems to be an expanding range of possibilities for the therapeutic use of cannabinoids.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26289248
http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/multiple-sclerosis-ms/
“Despite the proven efficacy of Sativex® (9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol plus cannabidiol) oromucosal spray in reducing spasticity symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS), little is known about the neurophysiological correlates of such effects.
The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of Sativex on neurophysiological measures of spasticity (H/M ratio) and corticospinal excitability in patients with progressive MS.
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study…
Our findings confirm the clinical benefit of Sativex on MS spasticity.”
“Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, has been previously shown by us to decrease peripheral inflammation and neuroinflammation in mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Here we have studied the anti-inflammatory effects of newly synthesized derivatives of natural (-)-CBD ((-)-8,9-dihydro-7-hydroxy-CBD; HU-446) and of synthetic (+)-CBD ((+)-8,9-dihydro-7-hydroxy-CBD; HU-465)…
These results suggest that HU-446 and HU-465 have anti-inflammatory potential in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. ”
“In this review, I will consider the dual nature of Cannabis and cannabinoids.
The duality arises from the potential and actuality of cannabinoids in the laboratory and clinic and the ‘abuse’ of Cannabis outside the clinic.
The therapeutic areas currently best associated with exploitation of Cannabis-related medicines include pain, epilepsy, feeding disorders, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma.
As with every other medicinal drug of course, the ‘trick’ will be to maximise the benefit and minimise the cost.
After millennia of proximity and exploitation of the Cannabis plant, we are still playing catch up with an understanding of its potential influence for medicinal benefit.”
“Alpha/beta-hydrolase domain 6 (ABHD6) is a novel 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) hydrolytic enzyme, that can fine-tune the endocannabinoid signaling in the central nervous system.
Recently we and others have demonstrated the protective effect of ABHD6 inhibition in the animal models of traumatic brain injury and epileptic seizures. In this study, we investigated the role of targeting ABHD6 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS)…
These results suggest that inhibition of ABHD6 might be used as an ideal strategy for the treatment of MS and other neurodegenerative diseases.”
“Tremor arises from an involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction/relaxation cycle and is a common disabling symptom of many motor-related diseases such as Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington disease, and forms of ataxia.
In the wake of anecdotal, largely uncontrolled, observations claiming the amelioration of some symptoms among cannabis smokers, and the high density of cannabinoid receptors in the areas responsible for motor function, including basal ganglia and cerebellum, many researchers have pursued the question of whether cannabinoid-based compounds could be used therapeutically to alleviate tremor associated with central nervous system diseases.
In this review, we focus on possible effects of cannabinoid-based medicines, in particular on Parkinsonian and multiple sclerosis-related tremors and the common probable molecular mechanisms. While, at present, inconclusive results have been obtained, future investigations should extend preclinical studies with different cannabinoids to controlled clinical trials to determine potential benefits in tremor.”