According to a new study utilizing an animal model, the marijuana-derived compound cannabidiol (CBD) was able to reduce the cognitive deficits associated with Fragile X Syndrome.
“Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychotomimetic constituent of Cannabis sativa, has been recently approved for epileptic syndromes often associated with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)”, begins the study’s abstract. “However, the putative efficacy and mechanism of action of CBD in patients suffering from ASD and related comorbidities remain debated, especially because of the complex pharmacology of CBD.”
For this study, researchers “used pharmacological, immunohistochemical and biochemical approaches to investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of CBD in the recently validated rat model of ASD, that is also a model of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), the leading monogenic cause of autism.”
The study states that “CBD rescued the cognitive deficits displayed by juvenile animals, without inducing tolerance after repeated administration.” These findings “demonstrate that CBD reduced cognitive deficits in a rat model of FXS and provide initial mechanistic insights into its therapeutic potential in neurodevelopmental disorders.”
The study was published in the journal Pharmacological Research with the title Cannabidiol and positive effects on object recognition memory in an in vivo model of Fragile X Syndrome: obligatory role of hippocampal GPR55 receptors. It was conducted by researchers at Roma Tre University, the Sapienza University of Rome, the Italian Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare, the University of Catania, and the National Institute of Mental Health (Czech Republic).
According to a study published in August in the journal Cells, the marijuana compound cannabidivarin (CBDV) has therapeutic potential for preventing neurobehavioral alterations associated with Fragile X syndrome.
A 2022 study published in the journal Genes and epublished by the US National Library of Medicine found that a large majority of patients with Fragile X Syndrome reported that CBD improved some of their symptoms and “made a positive difference overall”.
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