A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, and conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, Harvard Medical School and the University of Illinois, have found promising evidence to suggest that cannabis can treat the primary symptoms associated with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“This study provides the first evidence that pre-extinction administration of THC modulates prefrontal–limbic circuits during fear extinction in humans and prompts future investigation to test if cannabinoid agonists can rescue or correct the impaired behavioral and neural function during extinction recall in patients with PTSD”, says Dr. Christine A. Rabinak, an author of the study who works at the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry.
She continues; “Ultimately, the cannabinoid system may serve as a promising target for innovative intervention strategies (e.g. pharmacological enhancement of exposure-based therapy) in PTSD and other fear learning-related disorders.”
The study, which was published in last month’s issue of the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, can be found by clicking here.
Source: thejointblog.com
