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The cannabis paradox: when age matters

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New evidence in mouse models reveals that exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component in Cannabis sativa, might improve cognitive performance in aging animals.

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Figure 1: Bilkei-Gorzo et al.5 show in mature and old mice (12 and 18 months old, respectively) that THC increases the density of hippocampal synapses; the phosphorylation of signaling proteins involved in learning and memory; and levels of histone acetylation in the hippocampus.

Kim Caesar/Springer Nature

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Andrés Ozaita is in the Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,

    Andrés Ozaita

  2. Ester Aso is in the Pathological Anatomy Service, Bellvitge University Hospital, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Center for Networked Biomedical Research–Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain.,

    Ester Aso

Authors
  1. Andrés Ozaita
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  2. Ester Aso
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Correspondence to Andrés Ozaita or Ester Aso.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Ozaita, A., Aso, E. The cannabis paradox: when age matters. Nat Med 23, 661–662 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4348

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