Short News November 9th 3002

Cannabinoids effective in animal model of hyperactivity disorder

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome, affecting human infants and adolescents. The syndrome is characterised by impaired attention and by impulsive-hyperactive behaviour. Italian researchers studied ADHD in an animal model, using the spontaneously hypertensive-rat (SHR) strain, which is regarded as an animal model for ADHD.

The SHR rats were compared to normal rats. In tests it appeared that there is a subgroup within the SHR rats which reacted very impulsive. Researchers found that animals of this impulsive SHR subgroup presented a reduced density of CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The administration of a synthetic cannabinoid that – like THC – binds to the CB1 receptor normalized the impulsive behavioural profile in this subgroup of SHR rats, but had no effect on normal rats.

Until now there is no clinical research with cannabis or single cannabinoids in ADHD but several patients report positive effects.

Additionally, a clinical study on THC in Tourette’s syndrome demonstrated an improvement of obsessive compulsive behaviour.
(Source: Adriani W, et al. The spontaneously hypertensive-rat as an animal model of ADHD: evidence for impulsive and non- impulsive subpopulations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2003;27(7):639-51)

*Industrial-Hemp has no psychoactive properties following definition of the European Economic Community (EEC); THC content is less than 0.3%. In general, low THC-seed varieties without psychoactive properties are those that have a THC content of less than 1%. (See also No-THC Hemp-seed.) THC= Delta-9 TetraHydroCannabinol.