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THC (Dronabinol) Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer’s Disease

 [  April 2, 2026 at 7:00 AM CST (US/Secretariat) ]

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Join the IPA Journal Club and guest speaker, Dr. Paul Rosenberg for a discussion of his research on the following topic:

Agitation in AD is a major source of patient and caregiver distress and public health burden, and current medication treatment options are limited. We found THC (dronabinol) to be safe and effective for agitation in a retrospective case series and sought to confirm this with a rigorous Phase 2 trial. We randomized 75 patients with AD and agitation to a 3-week trial of THC (dronabinol) vs. placebo. THC decreased agitation significantly more than placebo on the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (effect size = -0.53) with a trend toward greater benefit on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Clinician Version Agitation/Aggression sum. The only adverse event more common on drug was somnolence, retention was ~84%, and there was no evidence of intoxication on the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ). We conclude that THC is a potentially safe and effective medication treatment for agitation in AD and seeking to replicate this finding in a larger and longer RCT.

Paul B. Rosenberg, M.D., is Richman Family Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders and Division Director of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine His research focuses on developing new treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease especially neuropsychiatric symptoms and relevant biomarkers including sleep and circadian rhythms. Dr. Rosenberg is a 2008 Paul Beeson Scholar, chaired an NIA study section and served on the FDA Advisory Committee for Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs. He trained in Adult Psychiatry at Tufts University/New England Medical Center and Geriatric Psychiatry at Mclean Hospital.

JOURNAL CLUB ORGANIZER:

Robert Madan MD FRCPC Baycrest, Toronto IPA Products & Services Committee Canada

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