Pot May Restrict Blood Flow to Brain: Study

"We have additionally seen it with individuals who do not smoke, who get marijuana in cookies or ingest it in different methods," he stated.

Whereas the examine would not set up a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers concluded that medical doctors ought to assume twice earlier than recommending marijuana within the remedy of somebody with Alzheimer's illness.

The findings "elevate essential questions concerning the affect of marijuana use on regular perform in areas of the mind essential to reminiscence and considering," stated Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Affiliation.

"Sustained insufficient blood move can harm and ultimately kill cells anyplace within the physique," Carrillo stated. "For the reason that mind has one of many physique's richest networks of blood vessels, it's particularly weak. These vessels ship vitamins to the mind and carry away waste, which is significant for regular cognitive perform."

Nevertheless, Carrillo added, "we can not inform from this examine whether or not marijuana use will increase an individual's danger for cognitive decline or Alzheimer's."

Different consultants raised considerations that the marijuana customers who underwent the mind scans had been looking for remedy for psychiatric issues. They stated this might skew the outcomes.

For instance, the examine reviews that 62 p.c of the marijuana group had consideration deficit/hyperactivity dysfunction, 47 p.c had traumatic mind harm, and 35 p.c had main depressive dysfunction.

"It seems to be as if the hashish customers have been all referred to the clinic for some drawback whereas the wholesome controls weren't," stated Mitch Earleywine, an advisory board member for NORML, which advocates for marijuana legalization. He is additionally a professor of psychology on the State College of New York at Albany.

Neurologist Dr. Terry Fife of Phoenix, Ariz., agreed with Earleywine.

"You actually need to know that the one factor completely different between the 2 teams is using marijuana, and we won't inform that right here," stated Fife, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

Fife added that the examine doesn't present the extent of the contributors' marijuana use, exterior of their analysis for hashish use dysfunction. "It is unclear how a lot of a consumer these customers have been," he stated.