Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily characterized by motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor. However, non-motor symptoms, particularly anxiety and depression, are also common and substantially affect patients' daily functioning and quality of life. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating constituent of Cannabis sativa, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anxiolytic properties and has shown therapeutic potential in several clinical settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of full-spectrum CBD oil administered at three different doses (30 mg/day, 60 mg/day, and 300 mg/day) as adjunctive therapy for anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease. This randomized, double-blind, dose-ranging clinical trial enrolled 27 participants with Parkinson's disease and moderate anxiety-depressive symptoms. Participants aged 40 to 70 years, diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at least four years before enrollment and presenting with moderate or greater anxiety-depressive symptoms, were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive full-spectrum CBD oil at doses of 30 mg/day, 60 mg/day, or 300 mg/day for two months. Assessments were conducted at baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up) to evaluate treatment effects and safety after treatment discontinuation. Primary outcomes included changes in anxiety and depression severity measured using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I). Secondary and other pre-specified outcomes included assessments of sleep quality, fatigue, cognitive functioning, psychosis symptoms, quality of life, motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, daytime sleepiness, pain, wearable sensor-derived motor assessments, and participant-rated treatment effectiveness. The CBD oils used in the study were prepared under controlled conditions and tested to verify CBD concentration and the absence of contaminants, including heavy metals and mold contamination. Participants were monitored throughout the study for adverse events, including somnolence, fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, and potential treatment-related safety concerns. The study evaluated the potential role of CBD as an adjunctive treatment for anxiety and depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease and assessed the safety and tolerability of different CBD dosing regimens. The duration of participation for each participant was approximately three months, including a two-month treatment period and a one-month follow-up assessment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
27
Participants will receive full-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) oil, administered orally as a dietary supplement. CBD oil will be delivered sublingually twice daily during meals. Three dosage groups will be studied: 30 mg/day, 60 mg/day, and 300 mg/day. CBD oil used in the study contains 2000 mg CBD per 30 ml bottle. Each participant will receive blinded bottles labeled with unique identifiers, ensuring double-blind administration. The duration of intervention is 60 days, followed by a one-month follow-up period to assess safety and lasting effects after discontinuation.
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw
Warsaw, Poland
Change in anxiety symptom severity measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
Anxiety symptom severity will be assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The outcome measure is the change in total BAI score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in depressive symptom severity measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I)
Depressive symptom severity will be assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-I (BDI-I). The outcome measure is the change in total BDI-I score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater depressive symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in insomnia severity measured by the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS)
Insomnia severity will be assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). The outcome measure is the change in total AIS score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater insomnia severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in anxiety symptoms measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Anxiety Subscale (HADS-A)
Anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Anxiety Subscale (HADS-A). The outcome measure is the change in HADS-A score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in depressive symptoms measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Depression Subscale (HADS-D)
Depressive symptoms will be assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Depression Subscale (HADS-D). The outcome measure is the change in HADS-D score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater depressive symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in depression symptoms measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - Depression Subscale (DASS-21 Depression)
Depression symptoms will be assessed using the DASS-21 Depression Subscale. The outcome measure is the change in depression subscale score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater depressive symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in anxiety symptoms measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - Anxiety Subscale (DASS-21 Anxiety)
Anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the DASS-21 Anxiety Subscale. The outcome measure is the change in anxiety subscale score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in stress symptoms measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - Stress Subscale (DASS-21 Stress)
Stress symptoms will be assessed using the DASS-21 Stress Subscale. The outcome measure is the change in stress subscale score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater stress symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in psychosis symptom severity measured by the Parkinson Psychosis Questionnaire (PPQ)
Psychosis symptoms will be assessed using the Parkinson Psychosis Questionnaire (PPQ). The outcome measure is the change in total PPQ score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater frequency and severity of psychotic symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in life satisfaction measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
Life satisfaction will be assessed using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). The outcome measure is the change in total SWLS score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater life satisfaction.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in fatigue measured by the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS)
Fatigue will be assessed using the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS). The outcome measure is the change in total FAS score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater fatigue.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in pain severity measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
Pain severity will be assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The outcome measure is the change in pain intensity score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater pain severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in health-related quality of life measured by the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39)
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). The outcome measure is the change in total PDQ-39 score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate poorer health-related quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in sleep-related symptoms measured by the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS-1)
Sleep-related symptoms will be assessed using the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS-1). The outcome measure is the change in total PDSS-1 score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate better sleep quality and fewer sleep-related symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in motor symptom severity measured by the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS)
Motor and non-motor symptom severity will be assessed using the MDS-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). The outcome measure is the change in total MDS-UPDRS score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater disease severity.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in non-motor symptom burden measured by the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS)
Non-motor symptom burden will be assessed using the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS). The outcome measure is the change in total NMSS score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater non-motor symptom burden.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in daytime sleepiness measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
Daytime sleepiness will be assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). The outcome measure is the change in total ESS score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate greater daytime sleepiness.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
Change in health-related quality of life measured by the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D)
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D). The outcome measure is the change in EQ-5D health status score from baseline to subsequent assessment time points. Higher scores indicate better perceived health status.
Time frame: Baseline, Month 1, Month 2 (end of treatment), and Month 3 (1-month post-treatment follow-up)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.