New therapies for essential tremor from cannabidiol mechanisms
Official title: New Therapies for Essential Tremor from Cannabidiols Mechanisms
Funded at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System · NIH-11517167 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-facing overview of how cannabis-based medicines might help tremor by targeting specific brain receptors, aiming to find better and better tolerated treatments for essential tremor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX005887-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11517167 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with essential tremor who may benefit from novel pharmacologic strategies targeting the shown receptors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tremor does not respond to receptor-targeted approaches or who cannot tolerate cannabidiol-related therapies may see little benefit.
What this research studies
This grant explores how cannabidiol may reduce tremor by interacting with brain receptors, using animal models to uncover the underlying mechanisms. Researchers test how cannabidiol and receptor blockers change tremor in a harmaline-induced mouse model to map the pathways involved. The work focuses on translating these findings toward safer, more effective medicines for people living with essential tremor. The project builds on prior observations that cannabidiol can dampen tremor and seeks to clarify which receptors drive this effect. If successful, the results could guide new treatment approaches that improve quality of life for patients with tremor.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new, better-tolerated medicines for essential tremor that specifically target the identified receptors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows cannabidiol can suppress tremor in animal models and some clinical contexts, supporting further mechanism-focused research.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Handforth, Charles Adrian — VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Handforth, Charles Adrian
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Vocal Tremor in Essential Tremor: Understanding Physiologic Cues in Older Adults
This grant studies why and how vocal tremor happens in people with essential tremor, aiming to better understand and describe voice changes in older adults.
-
Test to flag essential tremor patients at risk of Parkinson’s progression by detecting phosphorylated alpha-synuclein
A new test being developed for people with essential tremor to see who might later develop Parkinson’s disease.
-
Clinical Pathology of Essential Tremor-Related Dementia
A patients-facing study asks how essential tremor may be linked to dementia, with the goal of better understanding risks and potential biomarkers for people living with ET.
-
Personalized tremor relief for older adults using a new tremor-decomposition tool
A study aims to tailor tremor treatment for people 65 and older by refining a method that identifies which muscles cause tremor, with the goal of guiding practical, wearable relief options.
-
PET scans to measure a brain protein (SV2A) in essential tremor
This project uses PET brain scans to look for changes in the SV2A protein in people with essential tremor to help diagnose and follow the condition over time.
-
Thalamic Coordinated Reset Deep Brain Stimulation for Essential Tremor
A new brain stimulation approach is being tested to help people with essential tremor by using coordinated, lower-intensity stimulation to the thalamus.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.