News: Cannabis vs. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
From ScienceDaily reporting on work in the Journal of Neuroscience today:
Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients. ... The researchers used a synthetic form of marijuana, which has similar properties to the natural plant, and they chose to use a rat model, which presents similar physiological responses to stress to that of humans.
[After freaking out the rats with electric shocks and stress] the experimental rats received an injection of synthetic marijuana in the amygdala area of the brain—a specific area known to be connected to emotive memory. ... The synthetic marijuana canceled out the symptoms of stress. Dr. Akirav and Ganon-Elazar also examined hormonal changes in the course of the experiment and found that synthetic marijuana prevents increased release of the stress hormone that the body produces in response to stress.
