Elschot, Vera (2012) Safety of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia : focused on mobility outcomes. thesis, Medicine.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Background: In geriatric medicine, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may be beneficial in the treatment of several conditions. To make balanced decisions on the use of THC in elderly for medical purposes, physicians require reliable evidence on its harms. Objective: The objective of this study is twofold; (1) to establish whether THC is safe and tolerable in older patients, and (2) to evaluate to what extent age affects safety and tolerability of THC. Study design: Review Methods: PubMed (up to December 2011) was searched. Published studies on THC in the management of a medical condition that both enrolled older subjects (aged ≥ 65 years) and provided safety and tolerability data were included if they either exclusively enrolled elderly subjects or analyzed the impact of age on safety outcomes. Results: 151 abstracts were screened, which resulted in inclusion of 16 studies. THC was investigated for dementia- and cancer-related conditions and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Overall, safety and tolerability data was reported briefly and heterogeneously. The assessment of safety and tolerability of THC was not a primary objective in any study. 6 studies evaluated aspects of safety and tolerability of THC, administered in low doses, in an exclusively elderly study population. Mild CNS adverse events, including euphoria, somnolence and tiredness were reported most frequently. THC treatment was well tolerated. However, the methodology used in these studies had many shortcomings. 10 studies presented a sub analyses on the effect of age on safety outcomes. In the majority of these studies, no such effect was found. Conclusions: Safety and tolerability of THC in older patients is hardly analyzed in a well-designed way. Furthermore, missing information on several aspects, including the pharmacokinetic profile of THC in geriatric patients, limits the creation of a complete picture of the safety profile of THC in the elderly. Despite this, the available literature suggests that the use of THC, in low doses, is safe in older patients. In addition, age does not seem to substantially affect safety and tolerability of THC. More research is needed to validate these findings.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Thesis) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Facultair begeleider: and Izaks, Dr. G.J. internist-klinisch geriater UMCG |
| Supervisor name: | Plaatselijke begeleiders: and Olde Rikkert, Prof. dr. M.G.M. klinisch geriater UMC St. Rad and Elsen, drs. G.A.H. van de |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Jun 2020 11:00 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2020 11:00 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2036 |
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