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Medical Marijuana Pill Falls Short: Dementia Study
Researchers had hoped to ease anxiety, agitation and wandering
In this latest research, though, THC pills looked no better than placebo (inactive) pills.
The study included 50 seniors with dementia. About half lived at home; the others were in care facilities.
Olde Rikkert's team randomly assigned them to take either 1.5 mg of THC or a placebo pill three times daily, for three weeks.
The researchers focused on two types of behavioral symptoms: agitation and aggression; and wandering. They found that over three weeks, patients in both groups showed a small improvement, on average.
But the medical marijuana group was no better off than the placebo group, the investigators said.
"The improvement in the placebo group was remarkable, as dementia is a progressive disease," noted Olde Rikkert, who is chair of geriatrics at Radboud Alzheimer Center. "The improvement might have been caused by the fact that the patients received a lot of support during the study, or to the placebo effect."
The other positive news, said the researchers, is that the THC pills seemed well-tolerated. They found no effects on memory or heart rate, and potential side effects such as sleepiness and dizziness were no more common in the medical marijuana group than the placebo group.
Because of that, they say studies testing a higher THC dose are warranted.
"We currently plan to do another study in the same patient group using a higher dose of THC, although the exact dose has not yet been determined," Olde Rikkert said.
At a high dose, however, "there could be negative effects on behavior or cognition," Relkin said.
To Relkin, the findings highlight a bigger issue. "When (existing) drugs are tested in dementia patients, they just don't work the same as they do in other contexts."
The same may be true with medical marijuana, Relkin said.
"The fact that something has a calming effect on a person without dementia does not necessarily mean it's the good, or compassionate, thing to do for a person with dementia," he said. "The brain is very much altered in dementia."
There are non-drug options for addressing dementia patients' behavioral issues, Relkin said. They center on changing the environment: In a nursing home, for example, exit doors can be painted the same color as the walls, so it's more difficult for patients to wander away.
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