Category Archives: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Targeting the endocannabinoid system to treat haunting traumatic memories

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“One of the core symptoms in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the traumatic memory that constantly haunts the patient.

An increasing body of evidence points to the endocannabinoid (eCB) system as a key system in the regulation of emotionality and memory.

Hence, eCB enhancers may be the ideal pharmacological treatment for PTSD…

…eCBs have an essential role in maintaining emotional homeostasis and in modulating memory consolidation, retrieval and extinction.

Hence, the authors concluded that eCBs could be an ideal drug to treat PTSD by addressing both the emotional and cognitive aspects of the disorder.

Indeed, accumulating data from both clinical and pre-clinical studies suggest that targeting the eCB system may benefit PTSD.

Several studies support the self-medication hypothesis explanation for cannabis use to cope with PTSD symptoms.

To conclude, the eCB system may be a useful target for treating both the cognitive and emotional features of PTSD…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3776936/

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

Preliminary, Open-Label, Pilot Study of Add-On Oral Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

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“Marijuana is often used as compassion add-on therapy for treatment-resistant PTSD.

This open-label study evaluates the tolerance and safety of orally absorbable Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for chronic PTSD.

RESULTS:

There were mild adverse effects in three patients, none of which led to treatment discontinuation. The intervention caused a statistically significant improvement in global symptom severity, sleep quality, frequency of nightmares, and PTSD hyperarousal symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS:

Orally absorbable Δ9-THC was safe and well tolerated by patients with chronic PTSD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24935052

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

Cannabinoids Prevent the Effects of a Footshock Followed by Situational Reminders on Emotional Processing.

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“Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop following exposure to a traumatic event. Hence, what we do in the first few hours after trauma exposure may alter the trajectory of PTSD. We examined whether cannabinoids can prevent the effects of a single footshock followed by situational reminders (SRs) on emotional processing…

Cannabinoids Prevent the Effects of a Footshock Followed by Situational Reminders on Emotional Processing.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24897957

Smoking cannabis associated with PTSD symptom reduction in some patients, says study

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“Clinical research from New Mexico supports a conclusion that smoking cannabis [marijuana] is associated with PTSD symptom reduction in some patients.”

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140523/Smoking-cannabis-associated-with-PTSD-symptom-reduction-in-some-patients-says-study.aspx

“PTSD Symptom Reports of Patients Evaluated for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program”  http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02791072.2013.873843#.U39UHBVX-uY

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

Peripheral and intra-dorsolateral striatum injections of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN 55,212-2 impair consolidation of stimulus-response memory.

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“The endocannabinoid system plays a major role in modulating memory. In the present study, we examined whether cannabinoid agonists influence the consolidation of stimulus-response/habit memory, a form of memory dependent upon the dorsolateral striatum (DLS)…

The results indicate that peripheral or intra-DLS administration of a cannabinoid receptor agonist impairs consolidation of DLS-dependent memory. The findings are discussed within the context of previous research encompassing cannabinoids and DLS-dependent learning and memory processes, and the possibility that cannabinoids may be used to treat some habit-like human psychopathologies (e.g. posttraumatic stress disorder) is considered.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24838065

PTSD symptom reports of patients evaluated for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program.

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“New Mexico was the first state to list post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a condition for the use of medical cannabis. There are no published studies, other than case reports, of the effects of cannabis on PTSD symptoms. The purpose of the study was to report and statistically analyze psychometric data on PTSD symptoms collected during 80 psychiatric evaluations of patients applying to the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program from 2009 to 2011…

RESULTS:

Greater than 75% reduction in CAPS (Clinician Administered Posttraumatic Scale) symptom scores were reported when patients were using cannabis compared to when they were not.

CONCLUSIONS:

Cannabis is associated with reductions in PTSD symptoms in some patients, and prospective, placebo-controlled study is needed to determine efficacy of cannabis and its constituents in treating PTSD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24830188

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

Modulation of Fear Memory by Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids via Cannabinoid Receptors.

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“…several studies have suggested benefits of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) for patients with anxiety disorders.

Elevated fear is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of particular anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the dietary n-3 to n-6 PUFA (3/6) ratio influences fear memory…

These results suggest that the ratio of n-3 to n-6 PUFA is a factor regulating fear memory via cannabinoid CB1 receptors.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24518289

Using cannabis to help you sleep: Heightened frequency of medical cannabis use among those with PTSD.

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“The use of cannabis for medical purposes is proliferating in the U.S., and PTSD is an explicitly approved condition for accessing medical cannabis in 5 states. Prior research suggests that people with PTSD often use cannabis to help cope with their condition…

Those with high PTSD scores were more likely to use cannabis to improve sleep, and for coping reasons more generally, compared with those with low PTSD scores. Cannabis use frequency was greater among those with high PTSD scores who used for sleep promoting purposes compared with those with low PTSD scores or those who did not use for sleep promoting purposes.

Consistent with prior research, this study found increased rates of coping-oriented use of cannabis and greater frequency of cannabis use among medical users with high PTSD scores compared with low PTSD scores. In addition, sleep improvement appears to be a primary motivator for coping-oriented use…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24412475

Cannabinoid modulation of predator fear: involvement of the dorsolateral periaqueductal gray.

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“The present study investigated the effects of systemic or intra-dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (dlPAG) administration of CB1 agonists on behavioural changes induced in rats by predator (a live cat) exposure, a model of panic responses…

These results suggest that modulation of the cannabinoid system could be a target in the treatment of panic disorders…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24438603

The endocannabinoid system: an emotional buffer in the modulation of memory function.

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“Extensive evidence indicates that endocannabinoids modulate cognitive processes in animal models and human subjects. However, the results of endocannabinoid system manipulations on cognition have been contradictory. As for anxiety behavior, a duality has indeed emerged with regard to cannabinoid effects on memory for emotional experiences. Here we summarize findings describing cannabinoid effects on memory acquisition, consolidation, retrieval and extinction. Additionally, we review findings showing how the endocannabinoid system modulates memory function differentially, depending on the level of stress and arousal associated with the experimental context. Based on the evidence reviewed here, we propose that the endocannabinoid system is an emotional buffer that moderates the effects of environmental context and stress on cognitive processes.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24382324