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Global statisticians\u00a0estimate\u00a0that around 0.5-1% of the planet\u2019s population has been diagnosed with some level of Tourette Syndrome, although the true diagnosis rate of people suffering from the condition could be larger due to gaps in identification and treatment in some parts of the globe.<\/p>\n
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, \u201cTourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by sudden, repetitive, rapid, and unwanted movements or vocal sounds called tics.\u201d Currently, there is no cure for the condition.<\/p>\n
Various treatments for Tourette Syndrome exist, with common options being dopamine blockers, Botox injections, ADHD medications, anti-depressants, and anti-seizure medications. All of those treatments can yield possible undesirable side effects. Fortunately, a recent study in Israel found that cannabis may help. Below is more information about it via a news release from\u00a0NORML:<\/p>\n
Tel Aviv, Israel:\u00a0<\/strong>Tourette Syndrome (TS) patients report improvements in their quality of life and reductions in their use of prescription medications following cannabis therapy, according to\u00a0data\u00a0published in the journal\u00a0Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research<\/em>.<\/p>\n Israeli investigators surveyed patients prior to and six-months following cannabis treatment. Subjects in the study consumed products containing roughly twice as much THC as CBD.<\/p>\n Participants reported statistically significant improvements in their quality of life and employment status following cannabis treatment. Most subjects also reported reduced symptoms of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Patients reduced their use of prescription medicines.<\/p>\n By contrast, subjects did not report statistically significant improvements in their frequency of either vocal or motor tics during the study period.<\/p>\n Authors concluded: \u201cSubjective reports from TS patients suggest that medical cannabis may improve their quality of life and comorbidities. More studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of medical cannabis.\u201d<\/p>\n A limited number of\u00a0clinical trials have shown\u00a0both oral THC and inhaled cannabis to be associated with symptom improvements in TS patients, including decreased tic severity and reductions in obsessive-compulsive behaviors. <\/p>\n The results of a randomized, placebo-controlled\u00a0trial\u00a0published last month in the journal\u00a0Psychiatry Research<\/em>\u00a0reported that patients with more severe TS symptoms experienced symptomatic improvements following the consumption of a balanced formulation of oral THC and CBD.<\/p>\n Full text of the study, \u201cUsing medical cannabis in patients with Gilles de la Tourette\u2019s Syndrome in a real-world setting\u201d appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Additional information on\u00a0<\/em>cannabinoids and TS<\/em>\u00a0is available from NORML\u2019s publication<\/em>,\u00a0Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids<\/em>.<\/p>\n