A recent study indicates that dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC, effectively reduces agitation in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings, presented at the International Psychogeriatric Association conference, highlight a 30% decrease in agitation symptoms among participants treated with dronabinol.
Dronabinol, already FDA-approved for treating appetite loss in HIV/AIDS patients and nausea/vomiting from chemotherapy, did not cause common adverse effects such as delirium or seizures. Agitation, characterized by increased motor activity, verbal aggression, and sometimes physical aggression, affects approximately 40% of Alzheimer's patients.
Study Details and Results
The research team recruited 75 patients with severe agitation from AD across five clinical sites. Participants had a formal AD diagnosis and exhibited significant agitation symptoms for at least two weeks prior to the trial. Baseline agitation was assessed using the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (PAS) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Agitation/Aggression subscale (NPI-C).
Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 5 mg of dronabinol or a placebo twice daily for three weeks. Post-treatment, PAS scores in the dronabinol group decreased from an average of 9.68 to 7.26, reflecting a 30% reduction. The placebo group showed no significant change.
Expert Perspectives
"These new findings represent eight years of work dedicated to people who have Alzheimer’s as well as their caregivers," said Dr. Paul Rosenberg, a professor at Johns Hopkins and co-principal investigator. He emphasized that agitation is a major challenge in Alzheimer's care.
Dr. Brent Forester, psychiatrist-in-chief at Tufts Medical Center and another co-principal investigator, noted, "It is the agitation, not the memory loss, that often drives individuals with dementia to the emergency department and long-term-care facilities."
Impact and Future Directions
With approximately 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older affected by Alzheimer's, and projections estimating a rise to 13.8 million by 2060, the need for effective treatments is critical. The researchers plan to conduct longer-term studies with larger patient cohorts to explore additional applications of medical cannabis for managing symptoms in both patients and caregivers. The current study suggests that dronabinol performs comparably, if not better, than existing FDA-approved treatments for agitation in this patient population.
