A new dawn for Alzheimer's patients

In a study recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, a two-week high dose of CBD (cannabidiol) helped restore the function of two proteins that are essential for reducing the accumulation of certain plaques in the brain - a feature of Alzheimer's disease - and improved cognition in a mouse model of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is also known as Alzheimer's disease (AD), which we often hear about. Familial Alzheimer's is an inherited form of the disease and symptoms begin to appear in people in their 30s and 40s. Approximately 10-15% of patients have inherited Alzheimer's disease.


Main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease：

  1. Mild: The first choice is to have diminished memory of near events. As the disease progresses, there can be diminished distant memory, inability to find one's way home when going out, and easy fatigue, anxiety and negative emotions.
  2. Moderate: The patient develops diminished logical thinking and comprehensive analysis, verbal repetition, reduced calculation power, obvious visual-spatial impairment, such as not being able to find one's room at home, aphasia, loss of use, loss of recognition, etc.
  3. Severe: In addition to the gradual aggravation of all the above symptoms, patients also have emotional indifference, crying and laughing unpredictably, and loss of speech.


CBD found to normalize levels of two brain proteins for the first time

Dr Babak Baban, an immunologist and associate dean of the Georgia Dental College in Augusta, Georgia, explained in a press release that CBD reduced levels of IL-6 protein, which is associated with the high levels of inflammation found in Alzheimer's disease. Cannabinoids also improved cognitive performance in the mouse model used in the study.

The researchers found that CBD appeared to normalise levels of IL-33 and TREM2 by a factor of seven and 10 respectively. When both proteins are low, it is a clear indicator of the disease, the researchers said. This is the first time CBD has been found to normalise the levels of these brain proteins.

"Appropriate and innovative treatment modalities are urgently needed to improve outcomes for AD patients. ...Our findings suggest that CBD treatment enhanced the expression of IL-33 and TREM2, improved AD symptoms and delayed cognitive decline.

The researchers added that the next steps include determining the optimal dose of CBD to give early in the course of the disease, as well as conducting potential clinical trials. They are also exploring more efficient ways of ingesting CBD, including the use of medical inhalation devices, to help deliver CBD more directly to the brain.

Best CBD Oil for Dementia

As much of the pathology behind dementia takes place in the central nervous system, you’ll need to choose a CBD oil which you can take internally for a full-body effect. This means that topicals might not be the most effective treatment for dementia.

Your options include CBD tinctures,  CBD gummies, and CBD capsules. CBD treatments which include the full spectrum of phytocannabinoids and terpenes found in the hemp plant are usually most effective, so consider trying a full spectrum CBD product over oils containing only CBD isolate.

CBD Oil Dosage for Dementia

Considering that you might already be taking prescribed drugs for your dementia, as well as the seriousness of the condition, you should exercise caution when finding the right dosage of CBD. If you can find a CBD-literate doctor to help with your dosing, all the better.

CBD typically works best when taken 2-3 times a day. To start with, you could try taking the lowest dose of CBD available to you and gradually increase until you find the relief you need.