Researchers at the University of São Paulo have found that cannabidiol (CBD) may help reduce certain schizophrenia-related symptoms in a widely used animal model of the disorder.
The study, published in Schizophrenia Research, tested CBD on adult rats exposed in the womb to methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM), a compound that produces schizophrenia-like features. These animals typically display memory problems, heightened anxiety, and increased dopamine activity in the brain—hallmarks also observed in patients with schizophrenia.
When given a single dose of CBD before behavioral testing, male MAM rats showed improved memory performance in a novel object recognition task, while females did not exhibit impairments to begin with. Anxiety-like behavior remained unchanged by CBD in both sexes.
Importantly, the researchers found that CBD normalized the heightened dopamine neuron activity in the ventral tegmental area in both males and females.
The findings suggest CBD may counteract certain cognitive deficits and dopamine system abnormalities associated with schizophrenia, supporting its potential as an antipsychotic-like treatment. However, the researchers emphasize that these results are preclinical and that more work is needed, particularly in exploring sex-specific effects and translating findings into human trials.
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