Cannabis Oil Cuts Dementia Agitation in Nearly 90% of 120 Patients After 12 Weeks
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Jul 14
Cannabis Oil Cuts Dementia Agitation in Nearly 90% of 120 Patients After 12 Weeks
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Jul 14
Summary
Nearly 90% of 120 hospice or hospice-eligible dementia patients showed overall improvement after 12 weeks on a purified THC-CBD oil capsule in the LiBBY trial.
A 6.27-point drop in mean agitation scores appeared after two weeks among treated patients, while placebo recipients showed a sustained reduction only after 12 weeks.
Researchers said the response exceeded prior dementia-agitation trials, where drugs such as morphine, Valium and Haldol have shown limited benefit and can cause side effects.
Ten U.S. medical centers ran the home-visit study, with caregivers rating agitation on a seven-point scale and administering either the oral cannabis formulation or placebo.
The findings, presented at the Alzheimer's Association conference, remain preliminary because the trial has not been peer reviewed or published, and researchers warned commercial THC/CBD products differ sharply from the tested drug.