Endocannabinoids and Alzheimer's Disease: A Study on Cognitive Performance
Author Information
Author(s): Jeremy Koppel, Heather Bradshaw, Terry E Goldberg, Houman Khalili, Philippe Marambaud, Michael J Walker, Mauricio Pazos, Marc L Gordon, Erica Christen, Peter Davies
Primary Institution: The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Hypothesis
Do circulating endocannabinoids serve as diagnostic biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and influence cognitive performance?
Conclusion
The study found that circulating endocannabinoids do not serve as diagnostic biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and do not correlate with cognitive performance.
Supporting Evidence
- There were no significant differences in measured endocannabinoid concentrations between Alzheimer's patients and healthy controls.
- An inverse correlation was found between plasma levels of 2-AG and TNF-α.
- Endocannabinoids in cerebrospinal fluid did not correlate with cognitive performance.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether certain substances in our body called endocannabinoids can help diagnose Alzheimer's disease or affect how we think, but it found they don't really help with either.
Methodology
The study compared plasma endocannabinoid levels in Alzheimer's patients and elderly controls, and examined their relationship with cognitive performance and inflammatory markers.
Limitations
The study may not have been sufficiently powered to detect differences in endocannabinoid levels.
Participant Demographics
19 Alzheimer's patients (mean age 77.3, 53% female) and 12 elderly controls (mean age 73.4, 58% female).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.02
Statistical Significance
p<0.02
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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