Study finds marijuana use leads to brain development in rats
In the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers announce that they have found that cannabinoids promoted a generation of new neurons in rats' hippocampi. The study held true for both a plant-derived and a synthetic cannabinoid. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that contributes to learning and memory. In particular, it has been shown that the hippocampus is essential for the formation of new episodic memories.
"This is quite a surprise, chronic use of marijuana may actually improve learning memory when the new neurons in the hippocampus can mature in two or three months," said Xia Zhang, with the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit of the University of Saskatchewan.
"Our results were obtained from rats, and there's a big difference between rats and humans," added Zhang, "So, I really don't know yet if our findings apply to humans. But our results indicate that the clinical use of marijuana could make people feel better by helping control anxiety and depression."
Previous studies examining the effects of cannabis have highlighted negative aspects of the drug's use, such as short term memory difficulties, increased heart rate, nausea, and (in a very small percentage of people) hallucinations. Long term studies about cannabis use tend to be controversial as the data is seen to be biased or flawed. The most agreed upon effect of long term cannabis use is lung damage. However, proponents argue that the correlation between cannabis consumption and lung cancer is misleading suggesting that cannabis use may correlate with tobacco use or that the data is not being properly analyzed.
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"Cannabinoids promote embryonic and adult hippocampus neurogenesis and produce anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects" by Wen Jiang, Yun Zhang, Lan Xiao, Jamie Van Cleemput, Shao-Ping Ji, Guang Bai and Xia Zhang in Journal of Clinical Investigation (2005) DOI:10.1172/JCI25509. Available online Oct. 13, 2005 in advance of the journal's November print publication date.
"Marijuana may make your brain grow: Cannabinoid injections sprout new neurons in mice" by Geoff Brumfiel in Nature News Oct. 13, 2005 DOI:10.1038/news051010-12
Alan Mozes "Marijuana Compound Spurs Brain Cell Growth". HealthDay, Oct. 13, 2005
Dawn Walton "Study turns pot wisdom on head". Globe and Mail, Oct. 14, 2005
Commenti
Caro Mario.
Sottolineando che non ho avuto nessuna difficoltà a leggere il tuo intervento in inglese (quasi come fosse scitto in napoletano!), e sottolineando anche il fatto che hai fatto bene a postarlo in inglese altrimenti dovevi metterti a tradurre, aggiungo una nota di ironia a questo tuo post. Visto anche l'interveno sulla Cina che hai fatto...ci siam resi conto che gli autori dello studio che citi sono cinesi e che mi viene un credo più che legittimo sospetto che abbiano taroccato anche uno studio sulla cannabis (di cui magari stanno già coltivando quintali interi, tarocchi e nocivi come per i medicinali)?
/ Abbraccio Milano
Eh eh eh!!
/ Tutto e' possibile ... come diceva il mio ex prof di immunologia:
"..giovani ... quando parlate con i cinesi non dite mai loro quello su cui lavorate ... che vi fregano le idee e le pubblicano prima di voi!!" (ovvio che reso in italiano non fa giustizia alla versione originale in napoletano!) ;)