According to a study out of the University of Wollongong, marijuana could be effective as a symptom relief for those who have schizophrenia.
Cannabis-derived chemical cannabidiol (CBD) may offer meaningful relief with schizophrenia according to the findings.
Dr. Katrina Green, Professor Nadia Solowij, and Wollongong Ph.D. candidate Ashleigh Osborne conducted a detailed review of 27 extant studies on the chemical to get an idea on how it can effect cognitive function in relation to schizophrenia.
According to Green, CBD could provide direct neurological support for a range of conditions affecting the brain, from schizophrenia to dementia.
“From this review, we found that CBD will not improve learning and memory in healthy brains, but may improve aspects of learning and memory in illnesses associated with cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease, as well as neurological and neuro-inflammatory disorders,” Green remarked.
The researchers used a rat model to see how CBD can ease cognitive schizophrenia symptoms.
Using prenatal poly I:C infection simulated in rats, senior Professor Xu-Feng Huang and Ph.D. candidate Ilijana Babic found that “chronic” administration of CBD seemed to attenuate the cognitive deficits and social withdrawal that often afflict persons with schizophrenia.
“We found that CBD was able to restore recognition and working memory, as well as social behavior, to normal levels,” Osborne commented.
“These findings are interesting because they suggest that CBD may be able to treat some of the symptoms of schizophrenia that are seemingly resistant to existing medications. In addition, CBD treatment did not alter body weight or food intake, which are common side effects of antipsychotic drug treatment.”
She remarked also, “This is really important because current antipsychotic drugs don’t address the cognitive deficits, which approximately 80% of patients with schizophrenia experience.”
