Uso de Cannabis Sativa no tratamento da doença Alzheimer

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia worldwide. Individuals suffering from this neurodegenerative disease, suffer from memory loss and disorientation, leading to difficulties with organization, speech and sudden mood swings. These symptoms cause patients a significant loss in their quality of life, affecting their work, interpersonal relationships and leisure activities. The pathology of AD is still not well understood. It is believed that synapses suffer from the accumulation of proteins that can form plaques or become tangled, leading to the loss of brain tissue. There is still no single treatment that slows down, stops or is capable of reversing the effects of AD. Current medications are only palliative, making it necessary to produce new effective medications against this disease. In this context, phytocannabinoids, derived from Cannabis Sativa, have attracted much attention in the medical field in recent decades, due to their broad area of beneficial effects, their low side effects and significant improvement of patients quality of life. Its pharmacological effects come from the interaction of its metabolites, Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol, which with the endocannabinoid system, more specifically in the CB1 and CB2 receptors. Therefore, the objective of this study is to conduct a review of the possible applications of the use of Cannabis in the treatment of AD and the legislation involving its release for medicinal purposes.