Headshot of Laszlo Mechtler

Laszlo Mechtler, MD
Chief Medical Officer
DENT Neurologic Institute
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
MEDICAL PRACTICUM
MEDICINE

Medical Cannabis in Patients with Dementia: A Retrospective Review

Background: Dementia is currently estimated to affect nearly 6 million adults in the US with an annual healthcare spend in excess of $400 billion. Given the aging population and the lack of a known cure for this chronic disease, there have been increased efforts to identify potential treatment options over the last decade. Recent pharmaceutical treatments offer some hope though fall short of providing a true cure for this disease. In their quest to identify other potential treatment options, researchers have begun to explore the use of MC therapy given the growing body of evidence that cannabinoids may be useful in treating many of the comorbidities associated with this disease.

Design/Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted at an outpatient neurologic institute on 185 patients clinically diagnosed with dementia and certified for MC treatment under NYS guidelines. Of the 185 patients evaluated, 116 (67= female 49=male) met the inclusion criteria and had sufficient documentation for analysis, with a comparison done to case matched controls. In the study, we assessed changes in cognition, utilizing the MOCA and MMSE tests, as well as improvements in symptoms relative to the use of medical cannabis (MC).

Learning Objectives:

  • The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of medical cannabis (MC) on patients diagnosed with dementia through a retrospective review

  • Examine the efficacy, tolerability, and improvements in various aspects
BIO
Dr. Laszlo Mechtler is Professor of Neurology and Oncology at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Chief Medical Officer of the Dent Neurologic Institute, the largest out-patient neuroscience center in the United States and as the Chief of Neurology and Oncology and Roswell Park Cancer Center. He holds board certifications in Neurology, Neuroimaging, Neuro-Oncology and Headache Medicine. His training includes institutions such as MD Anderson, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Semmelweis University. He is a past president of the American Society of Neuroimaging (ASN) and the Hungarian Medical Association of America (HMAA). He was the guest editor of the 2009, 2014 and 2020 editions of Neurology Clinics on ‘Neuroimaging”. He served on the Executive Committee for BrainPAC through the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Headache Society (IHS) and Genomate Health. Dr. Mechtler has published some of the first major retrospective research trials on Medical Marijuana in headaches and various neurologic disorders. He is the Director of the DENT Cannabis Clinic, which has more than 15,000 patients certified through the NYS MMJ program and continues to grow each day. He has developed medical cannabis formulations (CBD/THC) tailored to specific neurologic disorders including migraine, sleep and anxiety. Dr. Mechtler is also the Founder/Chief Medical Officer for the MIND Institute in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Mechtler lectures both nationally and internationally and is recognized as a leader in the fields of Neuroimaging, Headache Medicine, Neuro-Oncology, and Medical Cannabis.

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Nov. 15, 2023

Legitimizing Cannabis Medicine with Laszlo Mechtler, MD

ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED. THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE NOT.

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