Post by Admin on Feb 3, 2019 11:49:37 GMT
Cannabinoids for the treatment of dementia
Background
Description of the condition
Dementia is a common chronic condition mainly affecting older adults and characterised by a progressive decline in cognitive and functional ability. The most common forms of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (60% to 70% of cases), vascular dementia (VaD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), dementia in Parkinson's disease (PDD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The boundaries between different subtypes of dementia are indistinct and mixed forms often co‐exist (WHO 2013).
It has been estimated that there were 47 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2016, and the number was projected to increase to more than 131 million in 2050 due to population ageing (ADI 2016). This disabling condition brings with it a significant burden to the individuals and their carers, as well as a large financial burden for the health system (Standfield 2017), thus driving the need to identify effective therapeutic interventions.
Medical treatments for dementia are limited. Licensed medications are available only for dementia due to AD and PDD and these have only modest benefits for cognitive symptoms. At least half of patients with dementia will also experience behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) such as agitation, aggression, psychosis and circadian rhythm disturbances. These symptoms lead to significant caregiver stress (Rabins 1982), are distressing for the patient, and often precipitate placement in residential or nursing homes (Steele 1990). Antipsychotic drugs are widely used to treat BPSD but have only modest efficacy (Ballard 2006; Schneider 2006). Use of these drugs in dementia is also associated with serious side effects including an increased risk of cerebrovascular adverse events and death (FDA 2005; MHRA 2004; Schneider 2005). A range of pharmacological and non‐pharmacological interventions is used for BPSD, but there are still continuing problems with their lack of efficacy, safety and feasibility. Accordingly, there is a need for new, safe and more effective treatments for dementia and its associated symptoms.
Source: www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD012820/full
Background
Description of the condition
Dementia is a common chronic condition mainly affecting older adults and characterised by a progressive decline in cognitive and functional ability. The most common forms of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (60% to 70% of cases), vascular dementia (VaD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), dementia in Parkinson's disease (PDD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The boundaries between different subtypes of dementia are indistinct and mixed forms often co‐exist (WHO 2013).
It has been estimated that there were 47 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2016, and the number was projected to increase to more than 131 million in 2050 due to population ageing (ADI 2016). This disabling condition brings with it a significant burden to the individuals and their carers, as well as a large financial burden for the health system (Standfield 2017), thus driving the need to identify effective therapeutic interventions.
Medical treatments for dementia are limited. Licensed medications are available only for dementia due to AD and PDD and these have only modest benefits for cognitive symptoms. At least half of patients with dementia will also experience behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) such as agitation, aggression, psychosis and circadian rhythm disturbances. These symptoms lead to significant caregiver stress (Rabins 1982), are distressing for the patient, and often precipitate placement in residential or nursing homes (Steele 1990). Antipsychotic drugs are widely used to treat BPSD but have only modest efficacy (Ballard 2006; Schneider 2006). Use of these drugs in dementia is also associated with serious side effects including an increased risk of cerebrovascular adverse events and death (FDA 2005; MHRA 2004; Schneider 2005). A range of pharmacological and non‐pharmacological interventions is used for BPSD, but there are still continuing problems with their lack of efficacy, safety and feasibility. Accordingly, there is a need for new, safe and more effective treatments for dementia and its associated symptoms.
Source: www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD012820/full