Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Apr 4;2(1):56-59.
doi: 10.1159/000498924. eCollection 2019 Sep.

Prescription of a THC/CBD-Based Medication to Patients with Dementia: A Pilot Study in Geneva

Barbara Broers  1 , Zacharie Patà  2 , Aline Mina  2 , James Wampfler  3 , Christian de Saussure  3 , Sophie Pautex  4
Affiliations

Prescription of a THC/CBD-Based Medication to Patients with Dementia: A Pilot Study in Geneva

Barbara Broers et al. Med Cannabis Cannabinoids. .

Abstract

Background: Dementia is increasing worldwide. No effective medication is currently available for the treatment of the underlying disease and accompanying behavioral symptoms. Cannabinoids might have a beneficial effect, but clinical studies with (low-dose) synthetic THC have not been conclusive.

Objective: To test the acceptability, practical aspects, and clinical outcomes of the introduction of a THC/CBD-based oral medication in severely demented patients in a specialized nursing home in Geneva.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study.

Results: Ten female demented patients with severe behavior problems received oral medication with on average 7.6 mg THC/13.2 mg CBD daily after 2 weeks, 8.8 mg THC/17.6 mg CBD after 1 month, and 9.0 mg THC/18.0 mg CBD after 2 months. The THC/CBD-based oil was preferred. Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory score, and a behavior problem visual analog scale decreased by 40% after 2 months, rigidity score by 50%. Half of the patients decreased or stopped other psychotropic medications. The staff appreciated the decrease in rigidity, making daily care and transfers easier, the improved direct contact with the patients, the improvement in behavior, and the decrease in constipation with less opioids. There was no withholding of the medication for reasons of side effects, and the effects persisted after 2 months.

Conclusions: An oral cannabis extract with THC/CBD, in higher dosages than in other studies, was well tolerated and greatly improved behavior problems, rigidity, and daily care in severely demented patients.

Keywords: Cannabinoids; Dementia; THC/CBD; Treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

References

    1. WHO Dementia [Internet]. WHO. [cited Nov 17, 2018] Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs362/en/
    1. Abraha I, Rimland JM, Trotta FM, Dell'Aquila G, Cruz-Jentoft A, Petrovic M, et al. Systematic review of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological interventions to treat behavioural disturbances in older patients with dementia. The SENATOR-OnTop series. BMJ Open. 2017 Mar;7((3)):e012759. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aso E, Ferrer I. Cannabinoids for treatment of Alzheimer's disease: moving toward the clinic. Front Pharmacol. 2014 Mar;5:37. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Szeto JY, Lewis SJ. Current Treatment Options for Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease Dementia. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2016;14((4)):326–38. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mina A, Pata Z. Prescription de cannabinoides en Etablissement Médico-Social. Thèse de maitrise, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Genève, Juin. 2017