Treating multiple forms of age-related cognitive decline with cannabinoid compounds: efficacy and potential mechanisms
Description: Canada is facing a health care crisis of epic proportions because of the large aging cohort of baby boomers. One area of particular concern is the numbers of individuals that will descend into various forms of age-related cognitive decline including the most common Alzheimer's disease (AD). As of today, there are no particularly effective treatments on the horizon, insufficient long-term care facilities available, and no clear plan to deal with this emerging problem. For example, Alzheimer's disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that currently affects approximately 500,000 individuals in Canada. This number is expected to increase to 937,000 by 2031. This means that the prevalence of dementia in Canada will almost double in 10 years with the costs increasing 10-fold. The financial costs associated with dementia are predicted to reach $16 billion a year by 2038. More importantly, AD has devastating effects on the quality of life of the afflicted individual, and caregivers bear a heavy financial and emotional load. This research program will focus on compounds found in marijuana as potential treatments for age-related cognitive decline. There is preliminary evidence, in animal models of AD, that cannabinoid compounds can dramatically slow or even reverse brain pathology and cognitive impairments. This treatment approach is exciting because these compounds appear to modulate multiple mechanisms of neural dysfunction and they are currently available, inexpensive, and relatively safe for human consumption. We will use various animal models of age-related cognitive decline and advanced techniques to assess functional, representational, and biochemical changes in brain areas implicated in learning and memory functions in subjects treated with cannabinoid compounds. These treatments are predicted to reverse brain pathology and prevent the descent into dementia.
Amount: CA$768,800
Funding type: research
Funder scheme: Project Grant
Start date: 2021-04-01
End date: 2026-03-31
Investigator: Robert McDonald
Institution: University of Lethbridge (Alberta)
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Funded outputs count: 4
Funder award ID: 175091_1
OpenAlex ID: G5497005366