A study published in the journal Cephalalgia using an animal model found that a combination of CBD and THC may significantly reduce migraine symptoms.
Researchers from the University of Iowa, Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Center in Iowa explored how these cannabinoids influence light aversion, pain sensitivity, and cortical spreading depolarization (CSD), a process linked to migraine pathology.
For the study, mice were given either CBD (100 mg/kg) or THC (1 mg/kg) alone, as well as combinations of CBD (1, 30, or 100 mg/kg) with THC (1 mg/kg) before exposure to migraine triggers such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). In separate trials, CSD was optogenetically induced in familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM1) mutant and wildtype mice to assess cannabinoid effects on migraine-related pain behaviors.
Results showed that a 100:1 CBD-to-THC ratio significantly reduced CGRP- and SNP-induced light aversion in both male and female mice. The same ratio also alleviated squinting, a non-evoked pain response, but only in males. However, none of the tested cannabinoid treatments alleviated periorbital tactile hypersensitivity. In FHM1 and wildtype mice, the 100:1 CBD-THC combination did not impact CSD activity but did reduce grimace features associated with migraine-like pain. No cognitive, emotional, or motor impairments were observed.
“A 100:1 ratio of CBD:THC has a beneficial effect on some of the most bothersome migraine-related symptoms in three mouse models”, concludes the study. “Our findings support a potential therapeutic efficacy of combined CBD and THC treatments.”
For the full text of the study, click here.
