A preclinical study found that repeated CBG treatment prevented a long-term recognition memory impairment induced by MK-801 in male rats, an experimental model used to study cognitive deficits relevant to schizophrenia. The effect did not appear to involve restoring reduced BDNF protein levels, though changes in TrkB messenger RNA point to a possible mechanism that will require further research.
CBG (cannabigerol), the precursor molecule from which THC and CBD are formed in the cannabis plant, and a cannabinoid far less studied than either of them, has just given researchers another reason to pay attention.
A preclinical study published online ahead of print by Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior found that CBG prevented a long-term memory deficit in male rats treated with MK-801, a compound commonly used in experimental models of cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia.
Does that mean CBG improves memory in people with schizophrenia? No, but the results offer an interesting clue about a problem for which there are still no approved treatments: the cognitive deficits that can accompany the disorder.
CBG and a Memory Problem
Schizophrenia affects about 23 million people worldwide, or roughly one in 345, according to the World Health Organization, and can cause persistent difficulties across a range of cognitive functions.
These impairments can affect memory, attention, learning and executive function, and can have real-world consequences for a person’s ability to study, work, maintain relationships or live independently. The authors of the new study describe the pharmacological options for treating them as limited, note that some research finds all antipsychotics have minimal effect on cognitive function, and cite estimates that 30% to 35% of patients with schizophrenia are treatment-resistant.
That’s where the new study comes in. It was carried out by researchers at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable and the Universidad de la República, in Uruguay, …
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Author: Camila Berriex / High Times
