Since the discovery of the health benefits of CBD, much work is being put into it. Scientists have been going through different researches to access all its benefits. They are trying to see if CBD could be the cure for most medical conditions. Dementia is one of these medical conditions.
Researchers have performed experiments over time. this has led to different outcomes on the position of CBD in curing dementia. CBD for dementia has raised lots of theories. some say it can help prevent dementia, others say it can help with the symptoms. This article is going to explore all these outcomes and separate the myth from the fact.
Exploring the World of Dementia
What is Dementia?
- Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, and problem-solving. it has other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is not a single disease. it’s a term like heart disease that covers a wide range of specific medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s.
- Conditions under the general term “dementia” are a result of abnormal brain changes. These changes trigger a decline in thinking skills, which we know as cognitive abilities. it is severe enough to impair daily life and independent function. They also affect behavior, feelings, and relationships. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of cases.
- Vascular Dementia occurs because of microscopic bleeding and blood vessel blockage in the brain. it is the second most common cause of dementia. Those who experience the brain changes of many types of dementia have mixed dementia. There are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia. this includes some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies.
Dementia answers as “senility” or “senile dementia,” which is not right. this reflects the widespread but incorrect belief that serious mental decline is a normal part of aging.
Symptoms of Dementia
Dementia symptoms vary depending on the cause. however, common signs and symptoms include:
- Memory loss, which is usually noticed by a spouse or someone else
- Trying to communicate or find words
- Problems with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving
- Having a hard time reasoning or problem-solving
- issues with handling complex tasks
- problems with planning and organizing
- Difficulty with coordination and motor functions
- Confusion and disorientation
- Personality changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Inappropriate behavior
- Paranoia
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
Causes of Dementia
- Dementia occurs when there’s damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate, thinking, behavior and feelings will experience changes.
- The brain has many distinct regions. They all handle different functions (for example, memory, judgment, and movement). When cells in a particular region damage, that region cannot carry out its functions. Different types of dementia link with particular types of brain cell damage. they stay in particular regions of the brain. For example, in Alzheimer’s disease, high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells make it hard for brain cells to stay healthy and communicate with each other.
- The brain region called the hippocampus is the center of learning and memory in the brain. the brain cells in this region are often the first to get damages. That’s why memory loss is often one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
CBD for Dementia
What is CBD?
CBD, (aka Cannabidiol), is a compound derived from the Cannabis plant. Also, it has positive medicinal effects. but it does not make people feel “high,” or anxious. CBD, in various forms, is legal in 47 US States. The states where it remains illegal are Idaho, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
CBD is not the same as Marijuana or THC. Tetrahydrocannabinol compound generates a “high” with users. CBD comes from Cannabis plants, like how caffeine is from the coffee bean or aspirin from the bark of a Willow tree. CBD oil is the most common form of administration of the compound. the oil is in a gel cap or dropper bottle.
Can CBD cure Dementia?
There are no research studies that prove cannabis, or products such CBD oil, can stop, slow, reverse or prevent the diseases that cause dementia.
Some studies suggest cannabis could help with symptoms. to manage a few behavioral symptoms of dementia, such as agitation and aggression.
But more research will have to surface to understand the long-term effects of taking cannabis. it will determine whether it is an effective and safe way to tackle dementia symptoms.
How can CBD help with Dementia?
The dementia-related conditions that CBD can help include:
- Alzheimer’s disease,
- Vascular Dementia,
- Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB),
- Parkinson’s disease
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Huntington’s disease.
According to researchers at California’s Salk Institute, their 2017 study has found evidence that cannabinoids such as CBD could help remove dementia from and increase connections between, brain cells. other laboratories approve of these results. the US Food and Drug Administration is yet to approve a CBD drug for the purposes of treating dementia. yet, it has approved a CBD-based drug for treating epilepsy.
There are three ways CBD can work to improve health outcomes for persons with dementia:
- Reducing inflammation.
- Decreasing oxygen buildup.
- Working as a brain stimulant and neuroprotectant.
From a user’s perspective, CBD may reduce stress and anxiety in individuals with dementia. it might as well reduce the decline of memory and other brain functions.
Conclusion
Many of CBD’s hypothetical benefits can be observed. loved ones should pay careful attention for behavior changes. Persons with dementia who appear calmer or experience less severe symptoms may be benefitting from CBD. Another area in which CBD’s impact may work is in reducing sleeplessness
You should note that much controversy surrounds CBD and the claims companies have made on its positive effects. The FDA warns that CBD can cause liver injury (as shown in some animal experiments with super high doses). it also affects the metabolism of other drugs. The agency also says that long-term side effects remain unknown.
