CBD reduces the symptoms of schizophrenia, according to new medical studies

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.

With over 20 million people struggling with schizophrenia around the world, this often undiscussed but serious mental illness is a problem that should be addressed.

People with schizophrenia must take medication for the rest of their lives to manage their symptoms, which can debilitate, hinder, and interfere with daily functioning. Symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucinations, delusions, negative symptoms, disorganized or irrational motor behavior, and more. These can lead to people struggling with motivation, sleep, job performance, and problems with social situations.

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When things get bad, schizophrenia can even cause suicidal thoughts and tendencies.

Antipsychotics are usually prescribed to help relieve symptoms. However, these drugs have a long list of side effects: dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, lightheadedness, dizziness, sensitivity to the sun, menstrual cramps, rashes, and more.

How CBD helps

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been shown to be a beneficial alternative treatment for people with schizophrenia.

This non-psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant has been shown in studies to be effective in relieving a number of symptoms. The very first study conducted to analyze the effects of CBD on schizophrenia was in 1995, involving a 19-year-old girl who was given 1,500 mg of CBD daily for 4 weeks. The researchers found that her psychotic symptoms improved.

One of the latest studies from 2021 showed that CBD is beneficial in improving cognition. The study included 42 patients with schizophrenia and they were treated with either an antipsychotic called amisulpride or CBD. While both treatments improved cognition among study participants, CBD naturally resulted in fewer side effects.

Additionally, there is some promising evidence that CBD can treat psychosis with just a single dose. A 2020 study shows that addressing memory problems associated with psychosis is helpful. It involved using fMRI scans to analyze the brain activity of 13 people diagnosed with psychosis and how they responded to a dose of CBD or placebo, plus 16 controls while asked to do a memory task.

The researchers discovered that the activity patterns in the mediotemporal and prefrontal parts of the brain differed in those who took the placebo and compared them to those who were not diagnosed with psychosis. But when people with psychosis were given a dose of CBD, the activity in these areas of the brain was similar to the activity in the brain of people who are not psychotic while doing the same tasks.

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“Our study provides important insights into which areas of the brain CBD is targeting. This is the first time research has scanned the brains of people diagnosed with psychosis who have ingested CBD, and while the sample is small, the results are compelling as they show that CBD is precisely these areas of the brain that have been shown to show unusual activity in people with psychosis, ”says Sagnik Bhattacharyya, lead author of the study.

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“Now not only do we know that CBD works as an antipsychotic, we also know that it targets the areas of the brain that need to be targeted. This really gives us confidence and gives us a scientific justification for large-scale clinical trials, ”Bhattacharyya told Inverse.

“This study provides important insights into the brain mechanisms behind the antipsychotic effects of CBD,” he says. “There is confidence in the antipsychotic potential of CBD by showing that it targets the function of areas of the brain involved in psychosis and suggesting that even a single dose can improve some of the changes in brain function that cause psychosis may be the basis. “

“The finding that psychotic symptoms in this group can show a trend of improvement even after a dose of CBD is encouraging, but requires a larger clinical study to see if the effects would persist with longer-term treatment,” added Bhattacharyya .

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“The results form an important part of the picture that scientific research is building on the effects of CBD and will help support further clinical studies on the use of CBD in various stages of psychosis and other neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.” where some of the patients can also experience psychotic symptoms. “

What You Should Know About Using CBD to Treat Schizophrenia

While there are studies to show that CBD is beneficial for schizophrenia, it is primarily never recommended to skip your usual medications and use CBD without consulting your doctor. And when looking for CBD treatments, avoid buying online if you are unsure of the brand name. Keep in mind that most studies tend to use pure CBD and higher doses of it.

In addition, CBD can also have undesirable interactions with antipsychotic drugs, so neither a combination nor with other drugs is recommended.

Last but not least, some CBD products may contain THC, which has been shown to worsen the effects of schizophrenia. It might be tempting to self-medicate, but you should never do that if you are struggling with a serious medical condition like schizophrenia. Always ask your doctor for advice first.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.