Cannabinoid Treatment Improves Cognition in Old Mice

In young mice, THC had the opposite effect.

Written byDiana Kwon
| 3 min read

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Treatment with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the activate ingredient in marijuana, can restore cognition in old mice and induce molecular changes that make them more similar to young animals, scientists reported today (May 8) in Nature Medicine.

Previous studies have reported that as humans age, the brain’s endogenous cannabinoid system begins to decline. “What [the researchers] found here was that when we give THC, it improves these effects—which is, in my view, of major importance,” said Raphael Mechoulam, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem who was not involved this work. “I think [the study] is well done. I hope it will be repeated in other animals, and ultimately in humans.”

To assess the effects of THC on cognition, researchers at the University of Bonn in ...

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Meet the Author

  • Diana is a freelance science journalist who covers the life sciences, health, and academic life. She’s a regular contributor to The Scientist and her work has appeared in several other publications, including Scientific American, Knowable, and Quanta. Diana was a former intern at The Scientist and she holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from McGill University. She’s currently based in Berlin, Germany.

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