UNICAMP RESEARCH INDICATES THAT CBD COULD PRESERVE NEURONS
Study was done on mouse brains and is the first to analyze certain brain changes in animals
Recently, research from Unicamp published in Acta Neuropsychiatrica, a scientific journal edited by the University of Cambridge in England, indicated that cannabidiol (CBD) could help preserve neurons. The study was carried out by biologist João Paulo Machado at the Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Neurobiology and Behavior of the University’s Institute of Biology.
According to Professor André Vieira, coordinator of Lenc and Machado’s advisor, the work is the first in the world that analyzes the alterations in the transcriptome of the brain of mice based on real data. Previously, the focus of research was the control of seizures through behavioral observation.
To carry out the research, the mice were given a few doses of CBD for seven consecutive days in the amount that is normally used to contain seizures. Brain cells were collected and the material was genetically sequenced. With this, the researcher noticed modifications in 2,900 genes, most of them related to the production and saving of energy. Such savings could protect the nervous system.
According to information from the researcher, the study showed that CBD acted on the hippocampus of mice, an area that helps organize learning and experiences in the brain. “We also saw changes in genes involved in plasticity, which is a process of forming connections between neurons,” Vieira said.
The next step in the work now is to understand if the changes happen only in specific regions of the brain and if the effects will remain the same even with the use of lower doses of cannabidiol. Further studies should be carried out.