What is dementia?
Dementia is a general term used to describe symptoms that affect memory, daily activities, and communication skills. It is a syndrome or set of symptoms that describe conditions that are characterized by an abnormally pronounced decrease in cognitive functions in affected persons (memory, thinking, orientation, understanding, calculation, expression, learning, memory, etc.).
Over the years, we become older, consequently slower and more forgetful. However, in some people, these are more pronounced and very noticeable disorders that initially occur infrequently, but eventually begin to recur. In such cases, we consult a personal doctor, who diagnoses us after the examination.
There are more and more patients with dementia around the world. It is estimated that in 2010 there were more than 35 million patients diagnosed with dementia in the world, and in 2020 there were already 55 million of the world's population (source).
Similar symptoms and signs of the disease can be observed in people with dementia. In some people the signs are mild, in some more pronounced. The disease progresses differently in each individual, depending mainly on which part of the brain and to what extent it is affected.
Dementia can affect anyone. Above all, it is a disease of the elderly and everyone can experience it in a different way. The disease usually progresses slowly, but over time it requires daily monitoring and comprehensive help from relatives or guardians. In most cases, it affects people over the age of 65.
Dementias include several types and forms, the most common of which are:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Parkinson's disease
- vascular dementia
- frontotemporal dementia
- mixed dementia
The most common form of dementia in Slovenia is Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for 80% of all diagnoses. It is a primary degenerative brain disease, the cause of which is not yet known, but it causes the death of nerve cells. Dementia is currently an incurable disease for which we do not yet know an effective cure. With the drugs available, we can help ourselves primarily as an aid to relieve symptoms, at the same time these drugs slow down the development of the disease.
The most common signs of dementia
In people with dementia, milder symptoms appear at first, which become more pronounced over time, and at the same time they become disturbing for people in the area over the years. Behavioral and mental disorders (anxiety, aggression, feelings of anxiety, distrust, etc.) develop. These are distinct personality changes that are easy to notice. A very typical condition is also lying down and morning drowsiness, which can lead to depression. Sleep problems, insomnia and light sleep often occur, which affects the well-being and consequently the thinking of the affected person. The rhythm of sleep is disrupted and consequently of poor quality. Memory loss is a fairly common occurrence in people with dementia. In the first stage, the person is aware that he is slowly losing his memory. It begins with forgetting the usual actions of everyday life, which can be followed by disorientation in time and space, confusion and a slower response to what is happening in the environment. Everyday tasks become difficult, a demented person loses huge amounts of energy to achieve goals and basic tasks (preparing lunch, arranging an apartment, etc.). Over time, the symptoms become more pronounced, the person places objects in unusual places, making them harder to find. In the worst cases, there is suspicion and accusation that someone is hiding and stealing objects from the affected person. Common signs also include the uncontrolled handling of money, which begins with late payment of bills, hiding money in unusual places, which can lead to quarrels. Rare characteristic signs include problems with speech and communication, unsociability and confusion. Unwanted symptoms of people with dementia include aggression.
Self-medication with cannabis and cannabinoids
There are no quick fixes or cures for dementia in classical medicine. Treatment is based primarily on emotional support and quality care for people with dementia. Cannabis and the ingredients it contains can help relieve symptoms, as well. As a result, we take care of better well-being and a better quality of life.
People have been using cannabis for millennia to treat a variety of medical conditions. It interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) and cannabinoid receptors located throughout the body. The CB1 receptors in the ECS affect the nervous system and the brain, and it is this receptor's relationship to cannabis that could be key to alleviating the symptoms of dementia.
According to dr. Dustin Sulak small doses of cannabinoids, such as CBD, give the body a signal to produce more endocannabinoids and build more receptors. A higher number of receptors increases your sensitivity to cannabinoids, so it can take several times before you feel the effect. You can watch the post in the video below.
CB1 receptors can be found in the hippocampus, a part of the brain sensitive to the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The CB2 receptor is found in microglia, another part of the brain that is thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
A study led by Professor David Schubert of the Salk Institute in California, published in the scientific journal Journal of Neurochemistry in 2017, showed that CBD and THC could help remove dangerous proteins that cause dementia , from the brain. In the study, the research team found that a small dose of synthetically produced cannabinoids led to the removal of the toxic lining associated with dementia (source).
In a study led by Andreas Zimmer of the University of Bonn, she looked at the potential of cannabis to improve memory and the learning ability of older mice. Nature Medicine published it in 2017. The team found that low doses of THC improved learning abilities and memory in mice (source).
Many studies and studies have been described in the scientific literature in the field of cannabis use and its preparations to help and relieve symptoms in patients with dementia. Most research is in the field of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
In a 2019 review study, the results suggested that the ingredients in cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), may be useful in treating and preventing Alzheimer’s disease because CBD can inhibit the main causative factors. In addition, it has been suggested that the use of a set of cannabinoids together (CBD and THC-tetrahydrocannabinol) would be more useful than the use of CBD alone or THC alone. (source)
Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/difference-dementia-alzheimers
https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demenca
http://www.zpsih.si/media/documents/VVdemenca_r.pdf (access 7.9.2021)
https://www.fdv.uni-lj.si/docs/default-source/tip/poznavanje-demence-med-mladostnikiv-starajo%C4%8Di-se-dru%C5%BEbi-pilotna-%C5%A1tudija.pdf?sfvrsn=0 (access 7.9.2021)
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia (access 7.9.2021)
https://www.ssz-slo.si/wp-content/uploads/Zbornik-brez-barvne-naslovnice.pdf (access 7.9.2021)
https://wayofleaf.com/cbd/ailments/cbd-oil-for-dementia (access 7.9.2021)
https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/the-medical-minute-5-ways-cannabis-could-be-helping-alzheimers-pa (access 7.9.2021)
https://www.salk.edu/news-release/cannabinoids-remove-plaque-forming-alzheimers-proteins-from-brain-cells/ (access 7.9.2021)
https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.4311 (access 7.9.2021)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31970019/ (access 7.9.2021)
https://www.nijz.si/sl/pripnimo-si-vijolicno-pentljo-ob-svetovnem-dnevu-alzheimerjeve-bolezni (access 7.9.2021)
