It could become the supplement of the future for brain well-being, to be combined with drugs. But also the first natural biomarker for the early diagnosis of psychosis. It is called palmitoylethanolamide, acronym Pea, and the spotlight is on it by the experts of the Society of NeuroPsychoPharmacology (Sinpf), gathered today in Milan for their XXV National Congress. 'The neurosciences of tomorrow: neuropsychopharmacology towards precision and personalization of treatments' is the theme of the summit, an opportunity to discuss the review of all studies on Pea.
This organic compound – produced by our body and present in foods such as eggs, peas, tomatoes and soy, already used as a supplement for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects – in the review proved to be “fundamental for the well-being of the central nervous system – explain the neuropsychopharmacologists – thanks to its action on the endocannabinoid system involved in essential functions such as memory, pain, mood, appetite and stress response. Pea initially increases naturally in patients with psychosis to compensate for the alterations related to disease”, thus proving to be “a very important early biomarker”.
But “in the long term – the specialists point out – 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”. Not only that: in the future, experts envisage its use “also to combat 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 functionality cognition in activities of daily living”.
“The endocannabinoid system – recalls Matteo Balestrieri, director of the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Health Authority of Udine, co-president of Sinpf and author of two recent reviews of studies on Pea – is involved, together with the inflammatory system, in the development of various disorders psychiatric disorders and in particular psychosis. Therefore today precision neuropsychopharmacology aims to identify substances that modulate the endocannabinoid system and which may prove to be more tolerable than currently available drugs. A candidate that is proving interesting is Pea, which is not an endocannabinoid , does not bind to the 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 their degradation), and therefore is able to have effects on the functions regulated by endocannabinoids such as the response to pain or the appearance of symptoms of psychosis”.
As demonstrated by the work of the Udine research group coordinated by Marco Colizzi, Italian leader in this field, preclinical and above all clinical studies on Pea and psychosis indicate that the levels of this substance in the plasma increase in the early stages of the disease and in a proportional manner to its gravity. “The Pea therefore – continues Balestrieri – is proving to be a useful early biomarker of psychosis. However, 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 Pea integration in patients can be positive. And 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”.
If today Pea is already used as a supplement for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory virtues, linked to its ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system, but also with the immune system – neuropsychopharmacologists point out – in the future it could represent a 'brain-saving' weapon against cognitive disorders.
“Cognitive decline – observes Claudio Mencacci, Sinpf co-president and emeritus director of Neuroscience at the Fatebenefratelli-Sacco hospital in Milan – is related to neurodegeneration processes induced by vascular, oxidative and inflammatory damage that the organism tries to counteract by producing molecules lipids, including Pea, in an attempt to restore balance and prevent further damage. 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 and the expression of pro-inflammatory markers, and rebalancing brain excitatory transmission.” Indeed, the specialists add, “it has been observed that” Pea “can also promote the production of new neurons in some areas that are crucial for memory such as the hippocampus. Furthermore, it can improve their vitality and survival”.
“All together – concludes Mencacci – these data suggest that Pea supplementation has the potential to slow down the course of neurocognitive disorders. 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 supplementation 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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