01/04/2010

Cannabinoids help to erase bad memories

Erase bad memories is something that our mind can do. But how? In the central nervous system have cannabinoid receptors, which are substances that make the bad thoughts disappear. This discovery by scientists mean by these substances could cure diseases such as anxiety about post-traumatic stress, phobias and panic attacks.

Amalia García-Alcalde, CNN +. It is in the amygdala where concentration of these cannabinoids that may, if fear, shoot towards nerve cells. Drugs that could be created should focus on enhancing the cannabinoids in this part of the body and remove them for treatment.

As seen, the very nature helps to erase the bad memories. Through mice can appreciate this, as Beat Lutz, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich. The discovery may lead to fix the mental problems of the people. "We could understand the problems of anxiety through this system," says Lutz.

The active chemical in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, seems to cannabinoid receptors in the brain that are associated with sensations of pain, emotion and movement. Already in the past decade researchers have found chemicals created in the brain that are similar to THC.
Fear in mice
Researchers have experimented with mice genetically engineered so that they are missing a particular type of receptor called cannabinoid CB1. Normally, as we have said, are in the amygdala, a brain area associated with fear.

Then conditioned mice, along with those who had not been altered, to associate a particular music tone with an electric shock. The two groups of mice quickly learned the association, dying of fear whenever they heard the sound. A week later, the mice were exposed repeatedly to tone without the shock. Normal mice quickly forgot their fear, while still feared modified mice 11 days later.

The researchers found that the modified mice had removed the bad memories, but it took six times longer than normal. Lutz's group also showed that blocking CB1 receptors in normal mice produced the same effect them not to forget the bad memories than other animals

 
Lutz's team then studied the amygdala of mice, and confirmed that the animals were now ignoring the unpleasant association had higher levels of two major cannabinoids, anandamide and 2arachidonolglicerol "that those who had never been trained.

This suggests that these chemicals help to erase bad memories in relation to the CB1 receptors.

Lutz also noted that marijuana itself is a potential treatment since it activates all of cannabinoid receptors in the brain at once.
Value of cannabinoids and joints

Marijuana has been used medicinally for hundreds of years and people with certain mental conditions such as schizophrenia have always been easier for people smoking joints healthy.

The joint therapy had no success as such, but we can speak of medicinal cannabis users. The only problem I have is that the smoke contains tars than cannabinoids and various gases. However, we must not forget the benefits of cannabinoids.

Eating cannabis is another option to avoid inhaling the negative substances, but the dosage is complicated and unpredictable effects. When metabolized in the liver and does not reach the brain cannabinoid but something else, a modified substance that can lead to dizziness, discomfort or anxiety.