Language: English
This service contains links to third party websites. EPG Patient Direct is not in a position to verify this information and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the content contained.
14 Feb 2008
People who smoke marijuana to relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) could be putting themselves at risk of impaired cognitive function, according to a new study.
Research published in the online journal Neurology found that MS sufferers who smoked marijuana were 50 per cent slower at processing information than those who didn't.
The investigation also revealed a link between use of the drug and the occurrence of emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression. The study monitored 140 MS patients in Canada, ten of whom were classed 'current marijuana users'.
"The significance of this finding is particularly important because MS is itself a cause of neuropsychological impairment in 40 to 65 per cent of patients and therefore this research suggests that smoking marijuana may only be worsening the problem," report author Dr Anthony Feinstein from the University of Toronto.
Participants in the study were measured on processing information speed and memory, as well as being assessed for various psychiatric disorders.
Click here to learn more about multiple sclerosis
Delicious
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
