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A review of how cannabinoids affect motoneuron output Haynes, Elijah Michael Keays
Abstract
Alpha motor neurons (motoneurons) contain many ion channels and receptors upon which various cannabinoids are known to act upon. This scoping review involved the synthesis of evidence from literature published before July 2021 about the effects of cannabinoids on quantifiable measures of motoneuron output. Four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science CoreCollection) were queried and 3864 unique articles were retrieved. Twenty-two studies were ultimately included, and the findings from these studies were grouped according to four emergent themes: fictive locomotion, afferent feedback integration, membrane excitability, and neuromuscular junction transmission. From the synthesis of evidence, it can be suggested that CB1 agonists can increase the frequency of cyclical patterns of motoneuron output (fictive locomotion). Furthermore, a majority of the evidence indicates that activating CB1 receptors at motoneuron synapses promotes excitation of motoneurons by enhancing excitatory synaptic transmission and depressing inhibitory synaptic transmission. It was also revealed that although six of the included studies investigated cannabinoid effects on neuromuscular junction transmission, findings between studies were equivocal, thus, the specific nature of this influence remains unclear. Altogether, these reports indicate the endocannabinoid system is integrated along the final common pathway, and that cannabinoids might interfere with its normal function. Additional research about how cannabinoids affect alpha motoneurons and the neurophysiological mechanisms of movement control could benefit the growing number of cannabis users as well as neuro-adaptive populations that require novel treatment strategies for motor symptoms.
Item Metadata
| Title |
A review of how cannabinoids affect motoneuron output
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| Creator | |
| Supervisor | |
| Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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| Date Issued |
2022
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| Description |
Alpha motor neurons (motoneurons) contain many ion channels and receptors upon which various cannabinoids are known to act upon. This scoping review involved the synthesis of evidence from literature published before July 2021 about the effects of cannabinoids on quantifiable measures of motoneuron output. Four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science CoreCollection) were queried and 3864 unique articles were retrieved. Twenty-two studies were ultimately included, and the findings from these studies were grouped according to four emergent themes: fictive locomotion, afferent feedback integration, membrane excitability, and neuromuscular junction transmission. From the synthesis of evidence, it can be suggested that CB1 agonists can increase the frequency of cyclical patterns of motoneuron output (fictive locomotion). Furthermore, a majority of the evidence indicates that activating CB1 receptors at motoneuron synapses promotes excitation of motoneurons by enhancing excitatory synaptic transmission and depressing inhibitory synaptic transmission. It was also revealed that although six of the included studies investigated cannabinoid effects on neuromuscular junction transmission, findings between studies were equivocal, thus, the specific nature of this influence remains unclear. Altogether, these reports indicate the endocannabinoid system is integrated along the final common pathway, and that cannabinoids might interfere with its normal function. Additional research about how cannabinoids affect alpha motoneurons and the neurophysiological mechanisms of movement control could benefit the growing number of cannabis users as well as neuro-adaptive populations that require novel treatment strategies for motor symptoms.
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| Genre | |
| Type | |
| Language |
eng
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| Date Available |
2022-08-15
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| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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| Rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0417318
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| URI | |
| Degree | |
| Program | |
| Affiliation | |
| Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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| Graduation Date |
2022-09
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| Campus | |
| Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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| Rights URI | |
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International