Effects of Cannabidiol on behavioral and psychological symptoms of Vascular Dementia

Introduction: Vascular dementia (VD) is the second most common cause of dementia and is characterized by cerebrovascular changes generating cognitive impairment. In patients with VI, the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) are heterogeneous and highly prevalent manifestations that can arise during the course of dementia and bring suffering to the individual and their family. Currently, pharmacological interventions in the treatment of these symptoms have important adverse effects. Cannabidiol (CBD) has neuroprotective, anxiolytic and antipsychotic properties, as well as a favorable tolerability and safety profile. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of CBD on behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly people with VI. Methods: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study involving elderly people with VI. The instruments used are: Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scale, Side Effects Scale, Mini Mental State Examination, Brief Cognitive Screening Battery, Katz Index, Lawton Scale, Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly, Zarit Burden Scale. The included participants were assessed at the beginning of the study (baseline assessment), in the first, second and fourth weeks after the start of the clinical trial. Results: 30 participants were included. The mixed ANOVA with repeated measures showed that there is an effect of the interaction time and group (F(2.12;59.43) = 4.02; p < 0.05; ?p2 = 0.13) on the total score of the brief scale psychiatric assessment and neuropsychiatric inventory (F(1.58;44.31) = 3.61; p =0.05; ?p2 = 0.11). The mixed repeated measures ANOVA showed no effect of the interaction time and group for the mini-mental state examination, brief cognitive screening battery. Conclusion: In this study, cannabidiol reduced psychological and behavioral symptoms in patients with vascular dementia. Future studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the findings.