Objective: The management of agitation in dementia is a growing problem and conventional modes of intervention have limited efficacy. Synthetic Cannabinoids have been studied in other conditions like pain and multiple sclerosis. There is limited data available on their role in dementia. The authors aim to review the available literature and report on the efficacy of treatment with synthetic cannabinoids in two cases of dementia. Method: Two cases of patients with severe dementia were reported on for the off label use of Nabilone for their symptoms of psychomotor agitation and aggression. Informed consent was obtained from the patients’ substitute decision makers. The Kensington Standardized...

Rationale: Nighttime agitation occurs frequently in patients with dementia and represents the number one burden on caregivers today. Current treatment options are few and limited due to substantial side effects. Objectives: The aim of the study was to measure the effect of the cannabinoid dronabinol on nocturnal motor activity. Methods: In an open-label pilot study, six consecutive patients in the late stages of dementia and suffering from circadian and behavioral disturbances—five patients with Alzheimer’s disease and one patient with vascular dementia—were treated with 2.5 mg dronabinol daily for 2 weeks. Motor activity was measured objectively using actigraphy. Results: Compared to baseline, dronabinol led to...

The word dementia describes a class of heterogeneous diseases which etiopathogenetic mechanisms are not well understood. There are different types of dementia, among which, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are the more common. Currently approved pharmacological treatments for most forms of dementia seem to act only on symptoms without having profound disease-modifying effects. Thus, alternative strategies capable of preventing the progressive loss of specific neuronal populations are urgently required. In particular, the attention of researchers has been focused on phytochemical compounds that have shown antioxidative, anti-amyloidogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties and that could represent...