Article by Leafly
How Cannabidiol (CBD) Works for Treating Anxiety
While we don’t normally think of
anxiety as desirable, it’s actually a critical adaptive response that can help
us cope with threats to our (or a loved one’s) safety and welfare. These
responses help us recognize and avert potential threats; they can also help
motivate us to take action to better our situation (work harder, pay bills,
improve relationships, etc.). However, when we don’t manage these natural
responses effectively, they can become maladaptive and impact our work and
relationships. This can lead to clinically diagnosable anxiety-related
disorders. We’ve all heard the saying, “stress kills.” It’s true!
Anxiety-related disorders affect a huge segment of our
population—40 million adults
(18%) in the United States age 18
and older. In response, Big Pharma has developed numerous drugs to treat
anxiety-related disorders, from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
like Prozac and Zoloft to tranquilizers (the most popular class being
benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax).
While these drugs can be effective for many patients, some
don’t respond favorably. Certain patients don’t see much improvement, or they
can’t tolerate the side effects. Moreover, tranquilizers like Valium and Xanax
can be highly addictive. Clearly, alternative treatments are warranted.
Could cannabidiol (CBD), the most
prominent non-psychoactive constituent in cannabis, provide a viable
alternative for currently available anxiety medications? Quite possibly!
In recent years, CBD has generated a tremendous amount of
interest among consumers, clinicians, and scientists. Why? Not only does
evidence suggest CBD counteracts many of THC’s adverse effects, but numerous animal studies and
accumulating evidence from human experimental, clinical, and epidemiological
studies suggest CBD has powerful anti-anxiety properties. Administered acutely
(“as needed”), it appears safe, well-tolerated, and may be beneficial to treat
a number of anxiety-related disorders, including:
·
Panic disorder
·
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
·
Social phobia
·
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)
·
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
·
Mild to moderate depression
How
Does CBD Work?
CBD exerts several actions in the brain that explain why it
could be effective in treating anxiety. Before we dive in, it’s important to
note that most research describing how CBD works is preclinical and based on
animal studies. As the saying goes, “mice are not men” — and, results from
animal studies don’t always neatly transfer to human therapies. However,
preclinical studies provide insights that move us in the right direction:
5-HT1A agonist: 5-HT1A is a subtype of the serotonin receptor, which is
important because anxiety and depression can sometimes be treated with
medications that target the serotonin system. This is why drug companies
developed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and
Zoloft. SSRIs work by blocking reabsorption of serotonin in the brain, which
increases availability of serotonin in the synaptic space. This helps brain
cells transmit more serotonin signals, which can reduce anxiety and boost mood
in certain cases (although the full biological basis for this is more
complicated and not fully understood).
Similar to SSRIs, CBD may boost signaling through serotonin
receptors. In an animal study, Spanish researchers found that CBD enhances 5-HT1A
transmission and may affect serotonin faster than SSRIs. Researchers noted:
“The fast onset of antidepressant action of CBD and the
simultaneous anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effect would solve some of the main
limitations of current antidepressant therapies.”
Hippocampal
neurogenesis: The hippocampus is a major
brain area, and plays a critical role in a variety of brain functions. It’s
most famous for its role in memory formation and cognition. Brain scans of
patients suffering from depression or anxiety often show a smaller hippocampus,
and successful treatment of depression is associated with the birth of new
neurons (neurogenesis) in the hippocampus..
An animal study using
mice found repeated administration of CBD may help the hippocampus regenerate
neurons, which could be useful for treating anxiety or depression.
Research shows both
SSRIs and CBD may promote neurogenesis. This is significant, because evidence suggests
that severely impaired neuronal plasticity may influence suicidal behavior. Future
research comparing CBD and SSRIs effect on neurogenesis could open up promising
new avenues in how we understand depression and how to most effectively treat
it.
How
Can CBD Help Anxiety?
Building on the foundation of animal studies, human studies are starting to provide evidence to demonstrate that CBD can improve many commonly reported anxiety-disorder symptoms, including acute stress and anxiety.
Human Studies Show How
CBD Reduces Anxiety
Brazilian researchers conducted a small double-blind study of patients afflicted with generalized social anxiety.
After consuming CBD, participants reported a significant decrease in anxiety.
Researchers validated patients’ subjective reports by performing brain scans
showing cerebral blood flow patterns consistent with an anti-anxiety effect.
In another small study,
researchers had patients suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder perform a
simulated public speaking test. Participants reported significantly less
anxiety, findings supported by objective anxiety indicators like heart rate and
blood pressure.
Researchers concluded, “[CBD] significantly reduced anxiety,
cognitive impairment, and discomfort in their speech performance,” whereas the
placebo group experienced “higher anxiety, cognitive impairment, [and]
discomfort.”
Final
Thoughts
Evidence from animal studies have begun to characterize the
details of how CBD acts in the brain, and human studies of patients with and
without anxiety disorders are starting to validate CBD’s efficacy as an
anti-anxiety treatment. Given the huge social and financial costs of anxiety
disorders in the U.S., CBD has the potential to play a significant role in
treating a myriad of anxiety-related disorders.
While more research, including large randomized-control
trials (RCTs), is clearly warranted to examine the long-term effects and
potential for CBD, its demonstrated efficacy and highly favorable safety
profile (particularly when compared to currently available drugs) make it a
viable alternative or adjunct to currently available pharmaceuticals.
References
Blessing EM, Steenkamp
MM, Manzanares J, Marmar CR. Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety
Disorders. Neurotherapeutics. 2015;12(4):825-36. PDF
Malberg JE, Eisch AJ,
Nestler EJ, Duman RS. Chronic antidepressant treatment increases neurogenesis
in adult rat hippocampus. J Neurosci. 2000;20(24):9104-10. PDF
Zlebnik NE, Cheer JF.
Beyond the CB1 Receptor: Is Cannabidiol the Answer for Disorders of
Motivation?. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2016;39:1-17. PDF
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