Kentucky research: CBD, THC combo can improve late-stage dementia patients’ quality of life

New research — which Kentucky participated in as a trial site — shows a combination of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can help late-stage dementia patients feel less agitation. 

Dr. Greg Jicha, the director of clinical trials at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, said this combination, given to patients all over the state who participated in trials, lowered agitation scores by eight points, a “striking” reduction. 

“We’ve seen a lot of Alzheimer’s research really move towards the early stages in terms of prevention, and that’s really left a huge hole in the field where we have limited options to provide quality of life, dignity and respect for those that are in the later stages of disease,” Jicha said during a Tuesday morning virtual press conference. “We have very few medications that we can use for patients that may be agitated and/or have other neuropsychiatric symptoms, and these can be quite disruptive, especially for our families in our area who choose to care for their loved one at home.” 

Kentucky has a medical cannabis program, approved by the legislature in 2023, which allows patients experiencing a range of chronic distress to get medical marijuana prescriptions. 

“Notably, however, dementia is not listed,” Jicha said. 

Dementia is a “major leading cause of death,” he said, and “the data that we have out there do suggest that the majority of folks that are in hospice are suffering from some sort of dementia, whether they’re in hospice for the dementia itself, or for a related condition, or just other conditions that may be unrelated, such as cancer.”  

“I think that it was an oversight to not include dementia specifically in our state statute,” Jicha said. 

Alzheimer’s disease, which falls under the umbrella of dementia, is characterized by memory loss and is incurable. Treatments exist, though, including Lecanemab (brand name Leqembi), which underwent clinical trials at the University of Kentucky. This is an antibody that targets — and in some cases, removes — amyloid plaques from the brain, and has shown some success in slowing cognitive decline. 

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According to the Alzheimer’s Association, patients experiencing agitation who have also lost “their ability to communicate effectively” may express their feelings by throwing things, moaning or groaning, repeating phrases, pacing and more. 

Treating this agitation can better their quality of life — and that of their caregivers and loved ones, Jicha said. 

“In essence, they were awake, alert, more comfortable and less agitated, and this led to significant improvement in the caregiving quality of life that was also measured in the study as an ancillary outcome measure,” during the study, Jicha said. 

Because of the nature of the patient population being studied, UK researchers “went mobile,” Jicha said, and drove to participants’ homes. All participants in the study were eligible for hospice; most were cared for inside their homes and many of them were bed bound. The cannabis and THC treatment was given to patients in oil form in the mouth. 

“I think this is an important study for folks to understand and to hear about, and to know that we’ve not forsaken their loved ones in the later stages of disease,” Jicha said, “nor have we forsaken the family members and caregivers that take on this tremendous task of love and commitment.”