It could become the all-natural supplement of the future for the well-being of the brain, but also the first natural biomarker of a psychiatric pathology: for this reason, the spotlight of the experts from the Society of NeuroPsychoPharmacology (Sinpf) is on palmitoylethanolamide, or PEA. gathered today in Milan at the XXV national congress dedicated to “The neurosciences of tomorrow: neuropsychopharmacology towards precision and personalization of treatments”.
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The natural supplement
PEA is therefore a first example of precision neuropsychopharmacology: the review of all the studies on this organic compound, discussed during the congress, underlined that PEA, produced in the body, present in some foods and already used as supplement for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, it is essential for the well-being of the central nervous system thanks to its action on the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in essential functions such as memory, pain, mood, appetite and response to stress.
PEA initially increases naturally in patients with psychosis, to compensate for disease-related alterations, and has proven to be a very important early biomarker. In the long term, however, compensation becomes impossible and ‘endogenous’ PEA levels are reduced, paving the way for the use of PEA supplements, which in humans have already been shown to reduce psychotic and manic symptoms without serious side effects. Furthermore, in the future, it is also possible to use it to counteract memory problems and cognitive decline: PEA, whose levels also tend to decrease with age, protects neurons and seems to be able to improve memory, language and cognitive functionality in cognitive activities. daily life.
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The psychoses
“The endocannabinoid system is involved, together with the inflammatory system, in the development of various psychiatric disorders and in particular psychosis. Precision neuropsychopharmacology today therefore aims to identify substances that modulate the endocannabinoid system and which may prove to be more tolerable than the drugs currently available – he explains Matteo Balestrieri, director of the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Health Authority of Udine, Co-President of SINPF and author of the two recent reviews of the studies on PEA – . A candidate that is proving interesting is PEA, which is not an endocannabinoid, does not bind to endocannabinoid receptors but influences the system with the so-called ‘entourage effect’: that is, it enhances the action of natural endocannabinoids, increasing their levels ( or reducing its degradation), and is therefore able to have effects on the functions regulated by endocannabinoids such as the response to pain or the appearance of symptoms of psychosis”.
Studies
As demonstrated by the work of the Udine research group coordinated by professor Marco Colizzi, Italian leader in this field, preclinical and above all clinical studies on PEA and psychosis demonstrate that the levels of this substance in plasma increase in the initial stages of the disease and in a manner proportional to its severity. “PEA therefore – continues Balestrieri – is proving to be a useful early biomarker of psychosis. Since this increase in the quantities of the substance, which probably has the aim of compensating for the alterations connected to the pathology, is not maintained in the long term, it has been hypothesized that an integration of PEA in patients can be positive: the data collected in three clinical studies confirm that the association with usual therapies can reduce psychotic and manic symptoms, without inducing serious adverse events”.
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The natural substance
PEA, which belongs to the class of fatty acid amides, is in fact a natural substance that our body produces and which is also found in foods such as eggs, peas, tomatoes and soy. It is already used as a supplement for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory action, which depends on its ability to interact not only with the endocannabinoid system, but also with the immune system. Precisely because of the variety of mechanisms with which it acts, PEA is the subject of numerous studies and research on PEA and cognitive disorders was also discussed during the conference.
Cognitive decline
“Cognitive decline is related to neurodegeneration processes induced by vascular, oxidative and inflammatory damage that the body tries to counteract by producing lipid molecules, including PEA, in an attempt to restore balance and prevent further damage – he adds Claudio Mencacci, Co-President of Sinpf and director emeritus of Neurosciences at the Fatebenefratelli-Sacco Hospital in Milan – . Research has shown that PEA has the potential to protect neurons: studies on animal models show that, above all thanks to its interaction with the endocannabinoid system, it can improve functions such as memory and learning by reducing oxidative stress, the expression of pro-inflammatory markers and rebalancing brain excitatory transmission”.
It has been observed that it can also promote the production of new neurons in some areas crucial for memory such as the hippocampus, and can also improve their vitality and survival. “All together, these data suggest that PEA integration has the potential to slow down the course of neurocognitive disorders – concludes Mencacci -. That is, it appears capable of reducing fatigue and cognitive deterioration, improving global executive function in daily activities, memory , language deficits. Research will have to confirm these hypotheses, but it is possible that PEA integration could in the future help prevent neurodegenerative disorders and enhance the repair processes that the body implements to slow down their progression”.
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