By Deron Hamel
Results from an early phase clinical trial suggest that cannabidiol (CBD) may be an effective treatment for stemming the number of seizures for people living with severe, drug-resistant forms of epilepsy, however, randomized controlled trials are needed before conclusions can be drawn on the chemical compound’s effectiveness, says Dr. Elizabeth Donner.
While Donner, the director of the comprehensive epilepsy program at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, says the U.S. study shows promise in helping reduce seizures for those living with severe forms of epilepsy, randomized controlled trials where the effects of CBD are compared to the effects of placebo will provide more insight into CBD’s effectiveness in seizure control.
CBD is an extract from the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, the most abundant chemical compound in cannabis, CBD will not get people “high.” CBD is the most abundant non-psychoactive chemical compound in cannabis.
The multi-centre study, which was presented at a recent American Academy of Neurology meeting, involved 213 people aged two to 26 living with more than 10 severe drug-resistant types of epilepsy, including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, both of which can result in lifelong seizures and intellectual disability.
Participants were given a liquid form of CBD, administered orally to complement their regular treatment. The study was an open-label trial, meaning there were no placebos administered to participants.
“Given that this is an open-label study, it is very difficult to draw a conclusion with regards to efficacy,” Donner tells Voices of Epilepsy, adding the scientists involved with the study have also stated that more research is needed. “It’s difficult to be draw conclusive results from an open-label study.”
Although the study was not a randomized control trial, Donner says the results are still “compelling,” and warrant the rigorous scientific investigation of CBD’s effectiveness in treating people with drug-resistant epilepsy that will constitute the study’s next phase.
“I am very pleased that we are going to get high-quality information from randomized control trials.” Donner says.
Researchers found that, on average, the 137 people who completed the 12-week study experienced a 54-per-cent seizure reduction from beginning to end. Twenty-three of the 25 participants with Dravet syndrome who completed the study had convulsive seizures before adding CBD to their treatment. They experienced a 53-per-cent decrease in these seizures.
After 12 weeks, nine per cent of the patients with Dravet syndrome were seizure-free. Eleven of the 22 individuals with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome had atonic seizures at baseline and they experienced 55 per cent fewer drop attacks.
Only 10 participants – five per cent of those involved with the study – stopped taking CBD because of side effects.
“An important part of this study is what we can learn about how this group of children and young adults with epilepsy tolerate cannabidiol,” Donner says.
“It gives us good information with regards to what adverse effects to monitor for as we move forward looking at cannabidiol as a treatment.”
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