CBD as an alternative and natural treatment for neurological disorders

Neurological disorders may be caused for various reasons:

Genetic defects, birth defects, infections, cancerous tumours, bruises, and more – Although the brain and spinal cord are surrounded by strong membranes, wrapped inside bones of the skull and spine, and chemically isolated by the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB), they are very sensitive if they are damaged. The injury can also begin with another system in the body that has relationships with the nervous system.

Cerebral vascular diseases are associated with brain injuries, for example, autoimmune deficiencies are associated with damage caused to the body by its immune system.

Lifestyle & environmental conditions – neurological disorders can be due to problems related to lifestyle or environmental conditions, such as malnutrition or nutritional deficiency in organic living components or other extreme self-neglect factors. Neurological disorders can be divided according to the most affected location, the area in which there is dysfunction, or the cause of the disorder.

CBD and the prevention of destruction of central and peripheral nervous system cells

Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative diseases of the nervous system are debilitative and incurable medical conditions that lead to neurodegeneration and/or death of nerve cells. This causes problems with movement (called ataxia) or mental dysfunction (called dementias).

CBD is both a potent antioxidant and an effective anti-inflammatory agent

Due to these two properties, it manages to protect the cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems = neuroprotection. Diseases of neuronal cell disability have few things in common and are a disorder in biochemical processes in neurons: problems with neural conduction, oxidative stress, activation of microglia [MG] cells (microglia are the local macrophages in the brain), and poor function of transferring vital proteins in the brain and cells of the central nervous system [CNS]. All this led the researchers in the direction of testing the potential of cannabidiol treatment of these diseases.

In post-mortem examinations carried out on the brains of people who died as a result of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s, the researchers found an imbalance in the endocannabinoid system.

In Alzheimer’s patients, there was a shortage of the number of endocannabinoid receptors, especially in areas of the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaque protein. This protein is already known in connection with Alzheimer’s disease and recent studies prove that CBD can lower levels of this protein and decrease its degenerative activity.

At the same time, it is interesting to note that in uninjured areas of the brains of Alzheimer’s patients there is a high concentration of endocannabinoid receptors. That is, there is increased activity of endocannabinoid receptors in areas of the brain where there is no amyloid-beta formation. Similar changes were found in the brains of Parkinson’s patients.

CBD reduced cognitive impairment in preclinical studies

In a model of experimental Alzheimer’s disease induced in mice, the researchers found an increase in cognitive function in the group that received regular doses of CBD.

Learn more…

• Memory-rescuing effects of cannabidiol in an animal model of cognitive impairment relevant to neurodegenerative disorders.

• Therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in CNS disease.

• Cannabinoid receptor 1 deficiency in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease leads to enhanced cognitive impairment despite a reduction in amyloid deposition.

• Cannabidiol in vivo blunts beta-amyloid-induced neuroinflammation by suppressing IL-1beta and iNOS expression.

• Neuroprotective effect of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive component from Cannabis sativa, on beta-amyloid-induced toxicity in PC12 cells.

• Amyloid proteotoxicity initiates an inflammatory response blocked by cannabinoids.

• Cannabidiol: A promising drug for neurodegenerative disorders?

Recent studies show that activating CB1 and CB2 receptors helps protect the body by suppressing the inflammatory process in the brain and reducing high oxidative stress that produces toxic waste around nervous system cells.

Neurological disorders that can be treated effectively by CBD

Dementia

Dementia is a continuous cognitive decline in daily functions. The withdrawal is both mental and mental שמג is usually attributed to seniors and the elderly. From a curious and joyful person, the patient becomes an impulsive person who chooses a monotonous diet and prefers a life of immobility.

This disease is characterized by a decrease in the functioning of the cerebral cortex and mental as well as cognitive deterioration, which causes it to suffer significant deficiencies in the social and occupational sphere. The most common of them is Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is defined as a decrease of cognitive functions, without a change in the state of consciousness including a variety of chronic symptoms that indicate the loss of functions in daily life. Difficulty in memory, attention, thinking, and understanding processes.

Other mental functions may be impaired, including mood, personality traits such as judgment, and social behaviour. In general, all the different types of dementia, both those resulting from Alzheimer’s disease and those resulting from vascular dementia or other types of dementia, are characterized by several elements that lead to a gradual deterioration in social and occupational functioning. It is important to diagnose the disease and study the causes of the disease. Dementia can be progressive or remain static. In about 15% of cases, dementia was found to be reversible if treatment began before irreversible damage to brain tissue occurred. Most treatments today are focused on relieving symptoms: anxiety, irritability, tremors. Today there is no cure for this disease and it is not yet possible to reverse the spread of the disease, neuropathological signs, and return of dead cells to activity.

CBD and dementia treatment

The activity of CBD is manifested in the maintenance of nerve cells viability in the brain, preventing inflammation and anti-oxidative activity and as a result, the symptoms of the disease weaken.

Learn more…

• Alzheimer & Dementia: CBD As a Natural Treatment For Neurological Disorders.

• Cannabinoids for the treatment of dementia.

• Cannabidiol normalizes caspase 3, synaptophysin, and mitochondrial fission protein DNM1L expression levels in rats with brain iron overload: Implications for neuroprotection.

• Cannabidiol in vivo blunts β-amyloid induced neuroinflammation by suppressing IL-1β and iNOS expression.

Articles on CBD as a preventive treatment for dementia:

• Natural Phytochemicals in the Treatment and Prevention of Dementia.

• Using CBD to Treat the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias.

Alzheimer’s Disease [AD]

A serious and advanced disease of the central nervous system, especially common (but not only) in the elderly. It manifests itself slowly and persistently until the death of neurons in the brain. Advanced stage Alzheimer’s disease will inevitably cause the death of the patient, albeit indirectly.

In general, Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by cognitive decline. At first, memory impairment is particularly noticeable. Over time, other higher functions of the brain are also impaired, such as orientation, thinking ability, and reasoning. As brain decay progresses, the patient’s motor activity is also impaired, as well as the impairment of walking & eating abilities, At advanced stages, AD causes loss of control of the sphincters. Complications such as infectious diseases or pressure wounds/ sores eventually lead to the death of the patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease by CBD

As mentioned above, CBD has strong anti-inflammatory activity as well as antioxidant activity, and studies today are also conducted on tissue cultures, both in animals and more recently in humans. The findings and conclusions are extremely encouraging. CBD has been found to prevent the creation of harmful proteins AMYLOID- PLAQUES in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, and in reducing this protein production and subsidence around nerve cells, CBD begins to cure the disease.

Around the nerve cells in the brains of AD patients, two proteins are mass-produced. One is amyloid-beta and the other is tau protein. Cannabidiol works simultaneously in suppressing the production of the amyloid-beta protein, and the defective processing of tau protein suppresses chronic inflammatory responses, lowers mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduces oxidative stress. CBD can also help treat the various symptoms of the disease such as depression, restlessness, violence, negativity (refusal to perform any basic action), sleep disorder, and more. Clinical studies show a behavioural improvement in AD patients that have been treated with cannabinoids such as CBD.

Learn more…

• Alzheimer & Dementia: CBD As A Natural Treatment For Neurological Disorders.

• Cannabinoid CB2 Receptors and Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Are Selectively Overexpressed in Neuritic Plaque-Associated Glia in Alzheimer’s Disease Brains.

• Cannabidiol promotes amyloid precursor protein ubiquitination and reduction of beta-amyloid expression in SHSY5YAPP+ cells through PPARγ involvement.

• In vivo Evidence for Therapeutic Properties of Cannabidiol (CBD) for Alzheimer’s Disease.

• Molecular reorganization of endocannabinoid signalling in Alzheimer’s disease.

• A Molecular Link Between the Active Component of Marijuana and Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology.

• Endocannabinoid signalling in Alzheimer’s disease.

• The therapeutic potential of the endocannabinoid system for Alzheimer’s disease.

• The role of endocannabinoid signalling in the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.

• Cannabinoids for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: moving toward the clinic.

• The role of the endocannabinoid system in Alzheimer’s disease: facts and hypotheses.

• Study Implicates Gum Disease Bacteria in Alzheimer’s Pathology.

Parkinson’s Disease [PD]

PD is a degenerative disease of the nervous system, which progresses slowly and is characterized by typical motor disorders, which occurs due to a lack in the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) as a result of the degeneration of the group of neurons of the Substantia Nigra (SN) in the brain. As a result of cell mortality in SN, there is a decrease in dopamine production in this important brain region. Around one in 500 people are affected by Parkinson’s disease, which means there are an estimated 127,000 people in the UK with the condition. Men are slightly more likely to get Parkinson’s disease than women.

The disease causes a decrease In DA receptor activity In the brain or a decrease in the release of Dopamine. The four main symptoms of PD are:

Tremors in the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face. Stiffness in the extremities and back. Slow movement. and instability or balance. Coordination is impaired.

Among the symptoms of the disease: Slowing down and decreased movement, muscle stiffness, involuntary tremor at rest and during stress, disturbances in balance and instability in walking, involuntary and uncontrollable movements, incoherence and monotonous speech, decreased ability to express the body’s face and language. In addition, there are disorders in the digestive systems and kidney dysfunction. The disease also has mental aspects such as decreased cognition, depression, anxiety, and even hallucinations.

The main injury of the PD is in the patient’s ability to function, which over time becomes a highest-grade disabled, who needs close and regular help in performing even the easiest everyday functions. The image that the disease harms only the older population is not true, sometimes signs of the disease are also detected among young people in their thirties and forties.

The average age at which the disease is discovered is 58 and the number of patients with PD in Israel is estimated to reach about 20,000.

CBD for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Since PD was diagnosed by the irregular activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine, various therapeutic methods have tried to focus on increasing dopamine production. Blocking the CB1 receptors in the endocannabinoid system has been found to increase the rate of dopamine transfer

In addition, CBD can increase the activity of many neurotransmitters and slow the rate of disease progression. As a result of the momentum of the nervous system by replenishing dopamine supply, there is a marked improvement in psychiatric indicators that characterize the disease – irritability and anxiety, nightmares, and even violent behaviour.

There is nothing written here to undo the importance of THC in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

• Prospects for cannabinoid therapies in basal ganglia disorders.

• Evaluation of the neuroprotective effect of cannabinoids in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease: Importance of antioxidant and cannabinoid receptor-independent properties. Evaluation of the neuroprotective effect of cannabinoids in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease: Importance of antioxidant and cannabinoid receptor-independent properties.

• Expression of cannabinoid CB1 receptor mRNA in basal ganglia of the normal and parkinsonian human brain.

• Effects of cannabidiol in the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease: An exploratory double-blind trial.

• Evaluation of the neuroprotective effect of cannabinoids in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease: Importance of antioxidant and cannabinoid receptor-independent properties.

• Cannabinoids provide neuroprotection against 6-hydroxydopamine toxicity in vivo and in vitro: Relevance to Parkinson’s disease.

• Cannabidiol for the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson’s disease.

• Cannabidiol can improve complex sleep-related behaviours associated with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in Parkinson’s disease patients: a case series.

Huntington’s Disease [HD]

A genetic disease transmitted in a dominant autosomal inheritance causes the appearance of chorea – involuntary movements due to lack of muscle control that causes the injection of the extremities to all sides without the ability to control them.

The disease also causes the gradual appearance of dementia and ends in complete dysfunction. It is a disease that appears at a relatively young age, and most patients with the disease begin to develop symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50. The disease appears against the background of a genetic mutation that causes the gradual loss of cells in different parts of the brain, which gradually causes the appearance of symptoms.

CBD as a treatment of Huntington’s Disease [HD]

CBD treatment in mice with induced HD showed retention of the nervous system and antioxidant activity that weakened the symptoms of the disease. Another study found that “Sativex” spray containing a 1:1 mixture of THC and CBD retains the nerve cells in an HD model in animals. In addition, it turned out that CBD activity to calm the symptoms of Huntington’s disease does not depend on CB1 and CB2 receptors but acts with the help of other mechanisms of action.

A variety of recent studies on the subject:

• A controlled clinical trial of cannabidiol in Huntington’s disease.

• Neuroprotective properties of cannabigerol in Huntington’s disease: Studies in R6/2 mice and 3-nitropropionate-lesioned mice.

• The endocannabinoid system and Huntington’s disease.

• Altered CB1 receptor and endocannabinoid levels precede motor symptom onset in a transgenic mouse model of Huntington’s disease.

• Neuroprotective effects of phytocannabinoid-based medicines in experimental models of Huntington’s disease.

• Cannabinoids: novel medicines for the treatment of Huntington’s disease.

• Sativex like a combination of Phyto-cannabinoids is neuroprotective in malonate-lesioned rats, an inflammatory model of Huntington’s disease: Role of CB1 and CB2 receptors.

• Prospects for cannabinoid therapies in basal ganglia disorders.

Mad Cow Disease – Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

BSE is a cattle disease that, when transmitted to a person, causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). It is one of the few diseases caused by prions – proteins that due to a defect in their structure form a toxic amyloid residue. Toxic precipitation causes neuronal mortality and consequently the formation of cavities in the brain tissue until it becomes spongy (hence the name of the disease). The brain’s absorbency, as far as prion diseases are concerned, is incurable and causes death within a few months of the onset of the first symptoms.

CBD and treatment of Mad Cow Disease

In 2007, a British-Italian study found that CBD could inhibit prion production. The importance of the finding is great since to date no compound or molecule has been found capable of doing it.

Cerebral-Spinal Ataxia (DCA)

The most characteristic symptom of cerebellum damage is a disorder in the coordination of desired movements called Ataxia. The most prominent manifestation is erratic walking, accompanied by a feeling of rotary dizziness or only instability with a tendency to fall. In addition, the movements of the upper extremities are not controlled and are inaccurate so that the patient’s function is significantly impaired. The disease is caused by the Purkinje cell’s mortality in the cerebral cortex. Causes and risk factors for the disease:

• Acquired ataxia can appear suddenly and temporarily as a result of materials that impair brain function (alcohol, synthetic medications, mercury poisoning, or adhesives), or as a result of viral diseases (encephalitis).

• Ataxia can develop slowly and become irreversible for weeks or months, as a result of dynamic processes that develop in the brain, such as gradually developing tumours, or metabolic disorders as in alcoholism.

• Hereditary ataxia begins in childhood as a result of partial development or early degeneration of brain tissue (Friedrich’s ataxia) and may persist for several years.

• Ataxia can also appear as a result of damage to other parts of the central nervous system that communicate indirect pathways to the brain, such as spinal cord injuries – such as syphilis, or vitamin B12 deficiency.

• Ataxia can also be caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system (neuropathy) as a result of diseases that cause it such as lack of vitamins in the diet, diabetes, or treatments using toxic substances (oncology drugs).

In ataxia syndrome that appears old with the involvement of the visual system and other systems, there are forms of ataxia known as spinocerebellar ataxia-SCA.

These are autonomic diseases with slow development and with the possibility of treating symptoms.

Treatment of DCA by CBD:

Activation of the endocannabinoid system in the frontal cortex and the cerebellum is associated with deficiencies in coordination and movement that characterize ataxia. These effects can be prevented by antagonists for CB1 receptors. New research shows that deficiencies in CB1 receptors increase the development of ataxia.

The scientists suggested that there is a link between the retrograde signalling of the endocannabinoid system and the maintenance of coordination. Research in mice revealed endocannabinoid dysfunction in an induced ataxia model. Considering these findings, it was strengthened that cannabinoids, especially CBD, played an important role in regulating and controlling processes associated with brain cell viability.

Learn more…

Does modulation of the endocannabinoid system have potential therapeutic utility in cerebellar ataxia?

Spinal Muscular Atrophies (SMA)

SMA is a rare neuromuscular disorder that results in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting. It is usually diagnosed in infancy or early childhood and if left untreated it is the most common genetic cause of infant death. It may also appear later in life and then have a milder course of the disease. The common feature is the progressive weakness of voluntary muscles, with arm, leg, and respiratory muscles being affected first. Associated problems may include poor head control, difficulties swallowing, scoliosis, and joint contractures. Spinal muscular atrophy is due to a mutation in the SMN1 gene] which encodes SMN, a protein necessary for the survival of motor neurons. Loss of these neurons in the spinal cord prevents signalling between the brain and skeletal muscles. Another gene, SMN2, is considered a disease-modifying gene, since usually the more the SMN2 copies. Usually, the mutation in the SMN1 gene is inherited from both parents in an autosomal recessive manner, although in around 2% of cases it occurs during early development (de novo). Outcomes in the natural course of the disease vary from death within a few weeks after birth in the most acute cases to normal life expectancy in the protracted SMA forms. The introduction of causative treatments in 2016 has significantly improved the outcomes. Medications that target the genetic cause of the disease include nusinersen, risdiplam, and gene therapy.

The poliovirus affects the motor neurons of the anterior horn cells, or the ventral (front) grey matter section in the spinal column, which control the movement of the trunk and limb muscles including the intercostal muscle

CBD as a treatment of spinal muscle depletion:

CBD may reduce the intensity of the symptoms of the disease due to the protection of nerve cell synapses and muscle cells. CBD also prevents seizures and tremors. Tremor is a result of the disintegration of the synapses between the nerve cells and muscle cells, during which the muscle loses tone and vibrations appear in an attempt to maintain normal movement.

Tourette Syndrome (TS)

A neuropsychiatric disorder that is manifested in motor and vocal “tics”. Tourette’s characteristic motor tics include blinking, movements of the jaw, neck, shoulder, or one of the extremities. The typical vocal tics are sniffing movements, power-force voices, growls, and involuntary voices. Stereotypically, Tourette’s patients are treated with uncontrollably foul language, but this phenomenon occurs only in extreme cases of the disease and among a small percentage of patients (about 10%). The syndrome is named after the French neologist Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first diagnosed it in 1885.

CBD as a treatment of Tourette’s syndrome

The soothing activity of CBD reduces the typical “tics” of Tourette’s syndrome and involuntary behaviour. THC is much more effective in the treatment of TS.

Cannabidiol is found to be an anticonvulsant and convulsions as well as an analgesic, soothes anxiety, reduces headaches, and improves the functions of hyperactive disorders.

Learn more… Treatment of Tourette syndrome with cannabinoids.

Neuroblastoma

One of the most common solid tumours in children, with nearly half of cases occurring in infants under 2 years of age. It is a neuroendocrine tumour (the internal secretion system of hormones), that arises from the sympathetic nervous system. Most often the tumour occurs in the adrenal gland but can also be due to various nerve tissues in the neck, chest, abdomen, or pelvis. It is a disease with great heterogeneity in terms of clinical appearance and is divided according to three degrees of risk: mild, moderate, and high risk. The low-risk disease is especially common in infants and sometimes it does not require treatment at all or only surgical treatment, and a disease rated as a high-risk disease does not respond well to even the most advanced treatment that exists today.

CBD as a treatment of Neuroblastoma

CBD therapy kills 90% of cultured neuroblastoma cells in vitro after 48 hours from the start of treatment. Cannabinoids and their associated compounds have been used in medicine since the dawn of history but only recently have their pharmacological properties discovered in cancer treatment, inhibition of cell growth (cytostasis), programmed cellular death (Apoptosis), and inhibition of new vascular growth (Angiogenesis inhibition) The most important study in the field was recently conducted, in 2016 by a team of scientists led by Prof. Raphael Mechoulam. In this study, CBD was found to be the most active cannabinoid in reducing the vitality of cultured cancer cells (in vitro) and causing their apoptosis. Both CBD and THC were found in the study to have properties that counter malignant tumours.

In vitro and in vivo efficacy of non-psychoactive cannabidiol in neuroblastoma.

Peripheral Neuropathy

The following term describes the damage caused to the peripheral nervous system, which can be caused as a result of a variety of medical causes, such as trauma and various other diseases. There are four main types of neuropathy – mononeuropathy, polyneuropathy, multiplex mononeuritis, and autonomic neuropathy.

The most common form is peripheral symmetrical polyneuropathy, which mainly affects the palms of the hands and feet. In many situations, the cause of the formation of neuropathy is not identified and the disease is defined as an idiopathic disease (a disease or disorder that developed without a known source). Neuropathy can be associated with a variety of symptoms such as weakness, changes in the autonomic nervous system, and changes in sensation. Sometimes involuntary spaces appear in the muscle, and sometimes there is a loss of sensation or feelings of pain.

Symptoms are related to the type of nerve involved (motor, sensational or autonomous) and where the nerve itself is located in the body. Sometimes only one nerve cell type and sometimes several. Common symptoms linked to motor nerve damage include muscle weakness, cramps, and convulsions. Sometimes stability and coordination damage occurs, damage to the sensational nervous system including sensations such as tingling and pain.

Pain linked to such sensory injury is described in a variety of forms: a feeling of “burning” in the mixed organ, a feeling of electrical currents, extreme sensitivity to touch or feeling as if the patient was wearing invisible gloves and socks (and therefore neuropathy is often described, mainly as a result of diabetes as neuropathy of “gloves and socks”). Damage to autonomous nerves is linked to involuntary functions – constipation, lack of bladder control, problem with sexual function, problems with blood pressure and heart rate, etc.

CBD as a Peripheral Neuropathy Treatment

There are many anecdotal reports online of people experiencing self-medication with CBD as relief of symptoms resulting from peripheral neuropathy.

Reports include:

• Soothing inflammation

• Soothing emotional stress and anxiety

• Prevention of nausea and vomiting

• Protection of nervous system cells

• Neuropathic analgesics.

Primary Tremor (Essential Tremor)

Primary tremor is a disorder of the nervous system that causes involuntary rhythmic tremors in the body. Why “primal”? Because the cause of the tremor remains unknown. The tremor was not a precursor to Parkinson’s disease and was not due to a hormonal problem, a reaction to drugs, or irritability. According to a comprehensive study on the subject, in 96% of cases, primary tremor is an inherited genetic disorder.

Once they realize what problem they are suffering from, most people can identify it with a parent or other family member. According to hereditary findings, there is a 50% chance that an offspring of a person suffering from the disorder will suffer from it himself. The disorder can erupt at any time, but usually, it becomes visible only in midlife and worsens with age. The affected gene is involved in the voluntary action of the muscles. Any part of the body may be damaged, but most often the hands, neck, throat (the expression of this injury is a trembling voice). In rarer cases, the legs are damaged.

The tremor disappears during rest or sleep but returns when the person suffering from the disorder tries to act with the help of the affected organ. The tremor worsens in situations of stress, fatigue, and anxiety or due to too much caffeine consumption. Before a person is diagnosed as suffering from primary tremors, the doctor must rule out other possible diagnoses like side effects of drug consumption, synthetic medicines, alcohol abuse, increased consumption of caffeine, increased thyroid gland activity, heavy metal poisoning, fever, or anxiety.

The doctor must also examine the possibility of other neurological problems, such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or dystonia (muscular tension impairment).

CBD as a treatment of Primary Tremor

There are many reports around the world, from countries where CBD is legal, about patients suffering from primary tremors treating themselves with CBD oil. Reports focus on the disappearance of the main symptoms, a positive change in daily behaviour, and an extension of the interval between tremor attacks during the day.

Other types of neurological disorders

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

The background to the disease is auto-immune. The immune system attacks touchpoints (synapses) between nerve cells and muscle cells causing convulsions. CBD is known for its ability to suppress the excessive activity of the immune system in autoimmune diseases and lower the severity of symptoms. It is also of great value to the activity of CBD as an anti-inflammatory agent in the whole body as well as its activity as a potent antioxidant.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

A degenerative, rare and deadly disease of the nervous system that is associated with the presence of prions, which is a rapidly replicating and impaired tissue function — especially in the brain. Similar to the “crazy cow” disease, which mainly affects people between the ages of 40 and 70, although younger people may also be affected.

The chances of injury are equal in both men and women. Creutzfeldt-Jaakob’s disease occurs worldwide in one person per million, but in unique populations, as in Jews of Libyan origin, the incidence is slightly higher, due to heredity genetic factors. The disease in the person is initially manifested in a certain change in behaviour that will be accompanied in less than a year by dementia and mental decline. twitching and muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness.

Motor Neuron Disease (MND) & Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the American baseball player who contracted it, is a degenerative disease that damages the central and peripheral nervous system cells associated with movement. The causes of the disease are not known for sure and no effective treatment has yet been found.

Treatment of ALS with CBD

A research model of ALS in mice studied the effect of CBD treatment and other Phyto-cannabinoids that showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and protective effects on nerve cells. Cannabinoids have extended the lifespan of the nerve cells infected with the disease. At the same time, appetite in these mice increased and sleep quality was improved. There is also evidence around the world of patients with the disease who are using CBD oil to reduce the symptoms of ALS.

Learn more…

• CBD relieves the symptoms of ALS.

• ALS & CANNABINOIDS: CBD and THC may help ALS patients manage symptoms and increase life expectancy.

• Cannabis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: hypothetical and practical applications, and a call for clinical trials.

• Can cannabinoids be a potential therapeutic tool in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

A study from 2019 shows a high level of safety and efficacy of Nabiximols [THC + CBD] (better known as “Sativex”) in patients suffering from ALS and examined the impact and possible side effects after a few months. The results show a reduction and calming effects of the tremor characteristic of ALS.

Summary – CBD and treatment of neurological disorders

Over 100 years, cannabis has become a plant whose uses are associated with social phenomena of leisure, recreation, and pleasure. In the past decade, the plant’s components have been the object of advanced medical research and clinical trials were performed to treat diseases that until now have been considered incurable. The laboratory process of separating active molecules from cannabis, together with research into the medicinal properties of CBD, opens a new horizon of a potential treatment for neurological disorders for several main reasons:

CBD affects the nervous system indirectly, unlike THC, it does not bind to the endocannabinoid receptors in the brain and therefore does not cause a feeling of HIGH. This feature alone already gives the CBD a great advantage among an older population suffering from neurological disorders but the feeling of intoxication associated with smoking cannabis has kept them away from such treatment. Cannabidiol is safe to use, with very minor side effects that usually disappear after two or three days from the beginning of the treatment. There is no limit whatsoever on the amount of CBD per day and the body cannot reach the CBD “overdose.”

There is no need for a dose increase – the body does not develop tolerance to CBD and therefore from the moment the correct dose is found that treats the symptoms – it is possible to stay with the same dose for months and possibly even longer. The form of consumption is simple – drops, capsules, or evaporation of CBD become a common commodity in a variety of forms of use that also make it easier for an older population. Medically, CBD has important pharmacological properties:

• CBD prevents the creation of harmful AMYLOID-BETA PLAQUES in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Indirect activation of CB1 and CB2 receptors by CBD helps protect the body by suppressing the excessive inflammatory process in the brain and reducing high oxidative stress that produces toxic waste around nervous system cells

• The soothing and anti-anxiety effect of cannabidiol contributes to the general treatment of a patient suffering from a neurological disorder

• CBD treats problems of loss of focus and attention deficit and protects against nervous system cell destruction.

• CBD treats insomnia providing optimal sleep patterns.

• CBD is a mild but constant painkiller.

It can be noticed that the degenerative diseases that originate from a nerve disorder are characterized by a similar process, which includes:

Appearance in old age: Most degenerative diseases only appear at a relatively late age. Through advanced imaging tests or biopsy, it is sometimes possible to identify the onset of degenerative neural changes at younger ages, but the symptoms of the disease appear only later after the degenerative process has become significant enough to cause the appearance of symptoms.

SUMMARY – Nervous System Degeneration

Degenerative diseases appear as a result of gradual nerve degeneration and other components of the brain. Degeneration can appear as a result of hereditary disorders, changes in proteins, or for unknown reasons. Functional impairment caused by the damaged neurological component and the various symptoms and impairment of functional ability is expressed according to the places affected in the nervous system.

For example, Alzheimer’s disease causes degeneration of the areas responsible for cognitive function, while ALS disease is a result of the destruction of motor function, etc. The degenerative mechanism of the disease causes that the more difficult the degeneration, the more significant the symptoms will be. Therefore, a gradual progression of symptoms appears until eventually they become intolerable and do not allow functional capacity. Without treatment, almost all neural degenerative diseases are incurable, and the only treatment they are given is supportive only to reduce symptoms severity.

Because it is a degeneration of the nervous system, it is not possible to “turn back the clock”, and the damage caused will be permanent and irreversible. It is possible through certain medicines and innovative treatments to preserve the condition and prevent deterioration,