Smoking cannabis could improve the memory of Alzheimer sufferers, scientists claim
Research found that chemical that makes people feel high when smoking the drug destroys rogue brain proteins behind the illness
SMOKING a joint could improve the memory of Alzheimer’s sufferers, scientists have found.
The chemical that makes people feel high destroys rogue brain proteins behind the illness.
The “sticky plaques” which kill neurons and cause memory loss were reduced by a fifth in tests on mice with Alzheimer’s injected with pot’s active ingredient THC.
After six weeks of therapy they performed as well as healthy peers on a simple test - remembering where a shallow area of a small pool was located.
The promising results add to growing evidence that cannabis may lead to the development of drugs that target the cause of dementia, rather than the symptoms.
Neuroscientist Dr Yvonne Bouter, of University Centre Goettingen in Germany, said their findings suggested “a possible therapy for the human disease”.
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But the US Alzheimer’s Association said of the benefits of cannabis: “The jury is still out.”
It has been suggested THC reduces brain inflammation but hits learning so if taken by people without Alzheimer’s the harm outweighs the benefits.
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