Research Article

Medicinal cannabis in neurodegenerative disorders: an open label, dose finding, safety and efficacy study

*Author for correspondence: Tel.: +61 863 179 472;

E-mail Address: research@ndr.org.au

https://orcid.org/0000-002-4996-2361

Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd, West Perth, 6005, Western Australia

School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6009, Australia

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Kerry L Lind

Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd, West Perth, 6005, Western Australia

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Cheryl A MacFarlane

Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd, West Perth, 6005, Western Australia

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Allana L Gurney

Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd, West Perth, 6005, Western Australia

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Published Online:19 Apr 2024

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Abstract

Aim: Currently, there exist no curative treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the use of medicinal cannabis to improve neurological conditions. Methods: A 12-month, open label, dose-finding, safety and efficacy study was conducted including 48 subjects with a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Results: In our participants, we observed a reduction in pain, improved sleep, enhanced well-being and less agitation. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that medicinal cannabis might be useful in patients with neurodegenerative disorders in controlling pain, enhancing sleep, reducing difficult behaviors, controlling unusual and complex symptoms when other treatments have failed – this offers medicinal cannabis a role in palliation.

Keywords:

Papers of special note have been highlighted as: •• of considerable interest

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History

Received 2 April 2023

Accepted 20 February 2024

Published online 19 April 2024

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Keywords

Author contributions

PK Panegyres conceived and designed the study, analyzed and interpreted the data, drafted the manuscript and approved the final version; KL Lind monitored patients and collected efficacy data; CA MacFarlane monitored patients, collected efficacy data and edited manuscript; and AL Gurney collated and analyzed data.

Financial disclosure

This work was supported by Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd; no external funding or government grants were received for this research. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Competing interests disclosure

The authors have no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Writing disclosure

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval (NDR HREC #170710) or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

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