#771: Brain’s Endocannabinoid Could Help PTSD Patients

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People suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sometimes self medicate with cannabis or marijuana.

Dr. Maria Morena is a memory specialist and post doctoral fellow at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary

She is researching how fear entangled with memories of traumatic events can be extinguished.

She is also researching how the body’s own endocannabinoid system might be enhanced to reduce the anxiety of PTSD patients.

DR MARIA MORENA:  Endocannibanoid system is a neurotransmitter system that we have in our body,  We can say it’s our brain’s version of cannabis.  Our brain makes its own cannabinoid.  We don’t need to smoke cannibis to induce its release. The endocannibinoid system can regulate a lot of functions, such as the stress response, the emotional memory, our immune system or likethe food intake.  So it’s related to my study because its importantly involved in the regulation of fear memory, emotional memory.

Dr. Morena hopes endocannabinoids will provide a targeted therapy for PTSD.

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

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Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

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Program Date: 2016-04-07