eMedicineLive

According to a new study published in the journal “Neuropsychopharmacology”, marijuana has been found to be effective in blocking the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorders in mice. There is a small interval of time following the traumatic event which is the “window of opportunity.” It is the ideal time when administration of marijuana can be helpful.

 

The study, which was conducted at the University of Haifa, was done in two steps. In the first step, the rats were exposed to stressful conditions and were found to exhibit post traumatic stress symptoms similar to human beings. These symptoms included an enhanced startle reflex, impaired extinction learning, and disruption of the negative feedback cycle of the stress-influenced HPA axis. The rats were randomly divided into four groups. The first group did not receive any marijuana; the second group received marijuana injection after 2 hours of being exposed to traumatic event, the third group received the same injection after 24 hours while the fourth group received the injection 48 hours after the stress inducing condition.

 

The rats were followed up after a week wherein it was found that the rats who did not receive marijuana or those who received it after 48 hours exhibited a high level of stress. However, the rats who received marijuana injection within 2 to 24 hours after being exposed to trauma did not develop any symptoms of post traumatic stress disease (PTSD). The researchers marked this time interval as the window of time as marijuana prevented the development of PTSD. According to Dr. Irit Akirav, the lead author of the study, considering the similar nature of symptoms that both men and mice exhibit after being exposed to high levels of stress, both should be having a window of opportunity. However, as the life span of humans is more than that of mice, the expected window of opportunity should also be more in men.

 

In the second part of the study, the researchers directly injected marijuana into the amygdala region of the brain, an area responsible for response to trauma. Marijuana was found to be effective in blocking the symptoms of PTSD through an action mediated by CB1 receptor in the amygdala. 

 

References:

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