Cognitive Performance Is Unaffected By Nightly CBD Use Per Australian Study
Insomnia is a major issue around the world, with an estimated one-third of adults worldwide having symptoms of insomnia, and roughly ten percent of adults globally are diagnosed with insomnia. Insomnia occurs when the sufferer has difficulty falling asleep and/or remaining asleep.
The negative effects of suffering from insomnia are significant – increased chances of depression, fatigue, memory issues, mood issues, and weight gain (among many other problems). Many insomnia patients do not respond well to pharmaceutical drugs.
Cannabidiol is a form of medication that many insomnia patients are increasingly turning to. A major question that often comes up between patients and doctors is whether or not CBD causes any lasting cognitive performance issues. According to a recent study conducted in Australia, the answer to that question is no.
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is increasingly used as a sleep aid for insomnia; yet neurocognitive and subjective state effects following daily therapeutic use are unclear.” the researchers stated. The researchers who conducted the study were all affiliated with Swinburne University of Technology.
The primary objective of the study was to “measure the effect of daily CBD use on neurocognitive performance and daily subjective mood in a population with primary insomnia.”
“This study used a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design incorporating a single-blind placebo run-in week followed by a two-week double-blind dosing period, during which participants consumed 150 mg CBD (N = 15) or placebo (N = 15) sublingually 60-minutes daily before bed.” the researchers stated about their study’s methodology. “Attention, executive function, reasoning, information processing, working and episodic memory were assessed using the CogPro system at the beginning of the placebo run-in, after 1-week and 2-weeks of dosing. Subjective states using visual analogue scales and side effects were recorded daily.”
“Cognitive performance was unaffected by nightly CBD supplementation (all p > 0.05). From baseline to trial conclusion, those receiving CBD reported greater experience of calmness, clear-headedness, coordination and were more likely to report side-effects of dry mouth relative to placebo (all p < 0.05).” the researchers stated about the study’s findings.
“Relative to placebo, daytime cognitive functioning following nightly supplementation as a therapeutic aid for primary insomnia was preserved under trial conditions. Results suggested an overall favourable safety profile, with larger controlled trials and thorough analyses of varying insomnia phenotypes necessary to corroborate these findings.” the researchers concluded.