Is cannabidiol the ideal drug to treat non-motor Parkinson's disease symptoms?

Is cannabidiol the ideal drug to treat non-motor Parkinson's disease symptoms? Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2019 Jan 31;: Authors: Crippa JAS, Hallak JEC, Zuardi AW, Guimarães FS, Tumas V, Dos Santos RG Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, rest tremor, postural disturbances, and rigidity. PD is also characterized by non-motor symptoms such as sleep disturbances, cognitive deficits, and psychiatric disorders such as psychosis, depression, and anxiety. The pharmacological treatment for these symptoms is limited in efficacy and induce significant adverse reactions, highlighting the need for better treatment options. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid devoid of the euphoriant and cognitive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, and preclinical and preliminary clinical studies suggest that this compound has therapeutic effect in non-motor symptoms of PD. In the present text, we review the clinical studies of cannabinoids in PD and the preclinical and clinical studies specifically on CBD. We found four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving the administration of agonists/antagonists of the cannabinoid 1 receptor, showing that these compounds were well tolerated, but only one study found positive results (reductions on levodopa-induced dyskinesia). We found seven preclinical models of PD using CBD, with six studies showing a neuroprotecti...
Source: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci Source Type: research