A new study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience findss that cannabis extract may help alleviate insomnia in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Conducted by researchers from Brazilian institutions including Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, the study examined the effects of oral cannabis extract on cognition, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness in six patients with moderate Parkinson’s disease. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either a lower dose (THC:CBD 250:28 μg/day) or a higher dose (THC:CBD 1000:112 μg/day).
Patients underwent assessments using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for cognition, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) for sleep disturbances, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for daytime drowsiness. Evaluations were conducted before treatment and at 15, 30, 60, and 90 days.
After 60 days, the higher THC:CBD dose led to a statistically significant improvement in insomnia symptoms, as measured by ISI. Data from the ISI and MoCA tests also suggested a general trend of improvement over time, though no significant changes were observed in daytime sleepiness. Notably, no serious adverse effects were reported during the study.
“These results demonstrate benefits of short-time treatment (60 days) with low doses of cannabis extract on insomnia in PD patients”, concludes researchers. “This study provide novel findings of the potential of combining CBD and THC as safe and effective treatments for non-motor symptoms of PD.”
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