title: Cannabinoids and Tremor Induced by Motor-related Disorders: Friend or Foe?
abstract: Tremor arises from an involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction/relaxation cycle and is a common disabling symptom of many motor-related diseases such as Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington disease, and forms of ataxia. In the wake of anecdotal, largely uncontrolled, observations claiming the amelioration of some symptoms among cannabis smokers, and the high density of cannabinoid receptors in the areas responsible for motor function, including basal ganglia and cerebellum, many researchers have pursued the question of whether cannabinoid-based compounds could be used therapeutically to alleviate tremor associated with central nervous system diseases. In this review, we focus on possible effects of cannabinoid-based medicines, in particular on Parkinsonian and multiple sclerosis-related tremors and the common probable molecular mechanisms. While, at present, inconclusive results have been obtained, future investigations should extend preclinical studies with different cannabinoids to controlled clinical trials to determine potential benefits in tremor.
authors.affiliation: Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Shokouh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arjmand
authors.affiliation: Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vaziri
authors.affiliation: Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behzadi
authors.affiliation: Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abbassian
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Whiteknights, P.O. Box 228, Reading, RG6 6AJ, UK. g.j.stephens@reading.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.affiliation: Kerman Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. shabani@kmu.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shabani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D063388:Endocannabinoids / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014202:Tremor / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids; D063388:Endocannabinoids
keywords: Ataxia; Cannabinoid; Huntington’s disease; Multiple sclerosis; Parkinson’s disease; Tremor