Marijuana accelerate deterioration
mental in MS patients
Although the use Medical marijuana is legal in several U.S. states, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) should think twice before you start using the drug regularly.
The authors of a small study found that patients with the autoimmune disease that damages the nervous system did not fare well performance on various psychological tests if they used marijuana.
"In MS there is a group of patients with cognitive impairment," said lead author Dr. Anthony Feinstein. "If you add marijuana to the mix, increase the problems," he said.
Still, the study does not prove that marijuana triggers the mental deterioration. And if so, some patients may choose to live with that consequence.
According to the National MS Society, about 400,000 Americans have MS and 1 in 6 smoking marijuana, said Feinstein. But there are no studies how the drug affects their minds.
"There is simply no data on the issue," said Feinstein, a psychiatrist at the University of Toronto.
With his team compared the mental abilities of two groups of 25 people with MS. A group smoked marijuana regularly (most had done daily for many years) and the other group had never consumed.
Almost two thirds of the marijuana smokers had some degree of cognitive impairment according to various psychological tests, including evaluation of the speed of information processing and memory verbal. All tests were performed at least 12 hours after last use of marijuana.
In contrast, only one third of the other group had a similar level of mental impairment.
This effect was independent of other factors that could affect mental functioning, such as alcohol, depression or anxiety.
"No surprise, really," said Shaheen Lakhan, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, who also heads the NGO Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation, in Panorama City, California.
"adverse cognitive effects marijuana use is an old observation. But I must say that most patients with MS that I know says that pain and spasticity are very annoying, so that his relief would be a priority, "he added.
Lakhan said there are several drugs approved for treat MS symptoms such as muscle relaxants, although all have side effects.
Feinstein said that people with MS should take care if they smoke marijuana, especially since their therapeutic benefits are weak.
Still, he said that "I do not intend to be dogmatic. Is a decision that varies according to each patient. "
SOURCE: Neurology, March 28, 2011.
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