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Disease/Condition
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Sample Size, Design, Target Symptoms
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Compound (Dose)
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Parameters Studied
|
Results
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Adverse Effects
|
Reference
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| MS and SCI |
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| MS |
Nine patients, DB, PL, spasticity |
THC (5- and 10-mg single-dose p.o.) |
EMG, clinical |
Improved spasticity score (objective) |
Minimal |
Petro and Ellenberger (1981) |
| MS |
Eight patients, SB, PL, tremor, ataxia |
THC (5 mg/6 h max three doses p.o.) |
Clinical |
Improved coordination and sense of well being, decreased tremor (subjective) |
Subjective "high" in all patients |
Clifford (1983) |
| MS |
13 patients, DB, PL, C, spasticity |
THC (2.5–15 mg daily for 5 days p.o.) |
Clinical, questionnaire |
Reduced spasticity (subjective); objective function tests not improved |
Common |
Ungerleider et al. (1987) |
| MS |
One patient, OL, spastic tetraparesis |
Cigarette smoke marijuana (one cigarette) |
Clinical, tremor recording, EMG |
Reduced ataxia and spasticity (objective) |
None |
Meinck et al. (1989) |
| MS |
10 patients, DB, C, spasticity |
Cigarette smoke marijuana (one cigarette; 1.54% THC) |
Dynamic posturography, objective balance |
Impaired posture and balance |
Subjective unpleasant "high" in all patients |
Greenberg et al. (1994) |
| MS |
One patient, DB, PL, C, spasticity |
Nabilone (1 mg/2 days for 16 wk p.o.) |
Visual analog scales |
Improved painful muscle spasms, mood and well being (subjective); reduced frequency of nocturia |
Mild sedation |
Martyn et al. (1995) |
| MS and SCI |
Two patients, OL, spasticity |
THC (10 or 15 mg p.o. or rectal) |
Clinical |
Improved walking ability and passive mobility, reduced rigidity, slight pain relief |
Temporal deterioration in ability to concentrate and in mood |
Brenneisen et al. (1996) |
| MS |
One patient, PL, nystagmus |
Cigarette smoke marijuana (inhaled) |
Eye movement recording |
Reduced nystagmus amplitude and improved visual acuity |
None |
Schon et al. (1999) |
| MS |
16 patients, DB, PL, C, spasticity |
Plant extract of THC (2.5–5 mg b.i.d. for 4 wk p.o.) |
Clinical, questionnaires, Ashworth score |
No improvement in Ashworth scale, worsening global impression |
41 adverse events in 16 patients during plant extract treatment |
Killestein et al. (2002) |
| MS and SCI |
24 patients, DB, PL, C, heterogeneous |
Plant extract of THC and CBD 1:1 (2.5–120 mg/day for 2 wk sublingual) |
Clinical, questionnaires |
Improvement of bladder control, muscle spasms, and spasticity and pain relief (subjective) but no in Ashworth scale |
4 dropouts due to adverse events |
Wade et al. (2003) |
| MS |
630 patients, DB, R, PL, spasticity |
Cannabis extract (Cannador: 2.5 mg  9-THC + 1.25 mg CBD/capsule; Marinol: THC max 25 mg/day for 15 wk p.o.) |
Clinical, questionnaires Ashworth score, Rivermead Mobility Index |
No change in the Ashworth score, but improvement in the patient-reported spasticity, pain, and sleep quality; unexpected reduction in hospital admission for relapse in the treatment groups; in 12-mo follow-up, THC improved muscle spasticity measured by the Ashworth scale and the Rivermead Mobility Index |
Minimal, similar to placebo |
Zajicek et al. (2003, 2004) |
| MS |
57 patients, DB, R, PL, C, spasticity, various |
Cannabis-based capsules (2.5 mg THC and 0.9 mg CBD; max dose 30 mg/day THC p.o.) |
Self-report of spasm frequency and symptoms, Ashworth Scale, Rivermead Mobility Index, 10-m timed walk |
Improved spasm frequency and mobility in the 37 patients who received at least 90% of their prescribed dose |
Minor adverse events were slightly more frequent in treated group |
Vaney et al. (2004) |
| MS |
14 patients, DB, PL, tremor |
Cannabis extract (Cannador: 2.5 mg 9-THC + 1.25 mg CBD/capsule p.o. for 2 wk) |
Tremor index, measured using a validated tremor rating scale |
No effects on tremor |
Minimal |
Fox et al. (2004) |
| MS |
57 patients, DB, R, PL, C, spasticity, various |
Cannabis-based capsules (2.5 mg THC and 0.9 mg CBD; max dose 30 mg/day THC p.o.) |
Self-report of spasm frequency and symptoms, Ashworth Scale, Rivermead Mobility Index, 10-m timed walk |
Improved spasm frequency and mobility in the 37 patients who received at least 90% of their prescribed dose |
Minor adverse events were slightly more frequent in treated group |
Vaney et al. (2004) |
| MS |
14 patients, DB, PL, tremor |
Cannabis extract (Cannador: 2.5 mg 9-THC + 1.25 mg CBD/capsule p.o. for 2 wk) |
Tremor index, measured using a validated tremor rating scale |
No effects on tremor |
Minimal |
Fox et al. (2004) |
| MS |
160 patients, DB, PL, R, M, VAS score for each patient's most troublesome symptom |
GW-1000 (Sativex) delivered by oromucosal spray (2.7 mg 9-THC and 2.5 mg CBD at each actuation) |
VAS score for each patient's most troublesome symptom, Ashworth Scale |
No significant difference in the Ashworth scale, tremor, and pain at 6 wk between the Sativex and placebo groups; improved VAS scores for spasticity |
Minimal |
Wade et al. (2004) |
| Pain (see also MS above) |
| Cancer |
10 patients, P, non-R, non-DB, pain |
THC (5, 10, 15, or 20 mg p.o.) |
Cancer-associated pain |
Superior to PL |
Common at higher doses |
Noyes et al. (1975a) |
| Cancer |
34 patients, P, non-R, C, pain |
THC (20 mg, codeine 120 mg p.o.) |
Cancer-associated pain |
Both superior to PL |
Common with THC |
Noyes et al. (1975b) |
| Cancer |
45 patients, DB, C, P, pain |
NIB (4 mg, codeine 50 mg, secobarbital 50 mg) |
Cancer associated pain |
NIB equal to codeine, superior to secobarbital and PL |
Common |
Staquet et al. (1978) |
| Dental extraction |
10 patients, DB, R, PL |
THC (0.022, 0044 mg, diazepam 0.157 mg/kg i.v.) |
Surgical pain |
THC superior to PL, inferior to diazepam |
Not discussed |
Raft et al. (1977) |
| FMF |
One patient, DB, R, C |
THC (50 mg daily p.o.) |
Gastrointestinal pain |
Superior to PL |
Not discussed |
Holdcroft et al. (1997) |
| MS |
One patient, OL, pain |
Nabilone (1 mg b.i.d. p.o.) |
Questionnaire, various |
Complete pain relief |
None |
Hamann and di Vadi (1999) |
| MS |
66 patients, DB, R, PL, pain, sleep disturbances |
Sativex delivered by oromucosal spray (2.7 mg 9-THC and 2.5 mg CBD at each actuation) |
Pain, sleep disturbances, numerical rating scale |
Improved central neuropathic pain and sleep disturbances |
Minimal |
Rog et al. (2005) |
| Neuropathy of varying etiologies |
21 patients, DB, R, C, PL, pain |
Ajulemic acid (CT-3, IP-751: 4 or 10 mg p.o. two times daily) |
Neuropathic pain, VAS |
Significant reduction of chronic neuropathic pain |
Minimal |
Karst et al. (2003) |
| HIV |
523 patients, cross-sectional questionnaire study |
Cannabis |
Questionnaire, various |
In most patients who used cannabis to treat symptoms (143/523); reduction in muscle and neuropathic pain |
Not discussed |
Woolridge et al. (2005) |
| Anorexia-cachexia in patients with cancer, HIV, or AIDS |
| Cancer |
54 patients, R, DB, weight |
THC (three doses of 0.1 mg/kg/day p.o.) |
Appetite, weight |
Improved appetite and increased weight |
Dizziness, sedation, confusion |
Regelson et al. (1976) |
| Cancer |
19 patients, OL, non-R, weight |
THC (three doses of 5 mg/day p.o.) |
Appetite, weight |
Improved appetite, trends for weight increase |
Common, but well-tolerated |
Nelson et al. (1994) |
| HIV/AIDS |
10 patients, non-R, weight |
THC (three doses of 2.5 mg/day p.o.) |
Weight |
Increased/stabilized weight |
Mild |
Gorter et al. (1992) |
| AIDS |
139 patients, R, PL, weight |
THC (two doses of 2.5 mg/day p.o.) |
VAS for hunger, weight |
Improved VAS for hunger but not weight |
Mild |
Beal et al. (1995) |
| AIDS |
94 patients, non-R, OL, weight |
THC (two doses of 2.5 mg/day p.o.) |
VAS for hunger, weight |
Improved VAS for hunger and weight (only for 1 month) |
Sedation, psychosis, dysphoria |
Beal et al. (1997) |
| AIDS |
52 patients, weight |
THC (two doses of 2.5 mg/day p.o. +/- Megace) |
VAS for hunger, weight |
Less effective than Megace |
Anxiety, euphoria, psychosis, confusion |
Timpone et al. (1997) |
| Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting |
| Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting |
Review of 30 randomized trials involving 1366 patients, nausea, vomiting |
THC |
Nausea, vomiting |
Across all trials, cannabinoids were more effective than placebo |
Various |
Tramèr et al. (2001) |
| Traumatic brain injury |
| Closed head injury |
67 patients, R, DB, PL, phase II, M, neurological outcome |
HU-211 (dexanabinol: 48 or 150 mg i.v.) |
Intracranial, cerebral perfusion and blood pressure, Glasgow scale |
Better intracranial pressure/cerebral perfusion pressure control, trends towards better neurological outcome |
Similar in all groups, related to severe head trauma |
Knoller et al. (2002) |
| Traumatic brain injury |
861 patients, R, PL, phase III, M, neurological outcome |
HU-211 (dexanabinol: 150 mg i.v.) |
Extended Glasgow scale at 6 months |
No improvement |
Similar in all groups, related to severe head trauma |
Maas et al. (2006) |
| Parkinson's disease, levodopa-induced dyskinesia |
| Parkinson's disease |
24 patients, R, DB, PL, motor disability |
SR141716 (0.3 mg/kg p.o.); antagonists of NK3 R (SR142801) and neurotensin receptors (SR48692) |
Motor symptoms and levodopa-induced dyskinesias after a single dose of levodopa |
No improvement in parkinsonian motor disability with any of drugs tested |
Minimal |
Mesnage et al. (2004) |
| Parkinson's disease |
Seven patients, R, DB, PL, C, motor disability |
Nabilone |
Motor symptoms |
Reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesia in PD |
Minimal |
Sieradzan et al. (2001) |
| Alzheimer's disease, dementia |
Alzheimer's disease, dementia
|
Six patients, OL, pilot, neuropsychiatric symptoms
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Dronabinol (2.5 mg/day for 2 wk)
|
Neuropsychiatric Inventory score, subscores for agitation, aberrant motor, and nighttime behaviors
|
Significant improvement in Neuropsychiatric Inventory total score, subscores for agitation, aberrant motor, and nighttime behaviors
|
Minimal
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Walther et al. (2006)
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