Brain imaging shows how medical marijuana helps patients with chronic nerve pain
Can medical marijuana truly help patients suffering from chronic nerve pain? Researchers have used brain imaging to show that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical compound found in marijuana, reduces connectivity in parts of the brain involved in processing pain, sharing their findings in a new study published in Neurology.
The authors used fMRI to examine the brains of 15 men with chronic radicular nerve pain before and after being given approximately 15 milligrams of THC oil. The study occurred over the course of two visits one week apart. During the first visit, six of the men were given a placebo instead of the THC oil. During the second visit, men originally given THC oil were given the placebo, and the men originally given the placebo were given the THC oil.
Overall, the THC was shown to reduce pain when compared to the placebo. Using a scale from zero to 100, participants rated their pain level before and after being given the THC oil. Before the THC, the average pain level was 53. After the THC, it dropped to an average of 35.
The fMRI revealed that THC reduces connectivity between the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex and sensorimotor cortex.
“Pain is a complex experience that involves both the senses and emotions,” author Haggai Sharon, MD, of the Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel, said in a prepared statement. “Our study results link pain relief from THC with a reduction in the connections between areas of the brain otherwise heavily connected, suggesting that THC may alleviate pain by disrupting signals between these pain processing pathways.”
Sharon also noted that “larger studies are needed” to confirm the team’s findings.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.