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Administration of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in Adolescent and Adult Mice

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Cannabis for Pediatric Epilepsy.

Richard J Huntsman¹, Richard Tang-Wai², Alan E Shackelford³

¹Division of Paediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Saskatchewan, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Publication of the American Electroencephalographic Society

|January 3, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabis extracts show promise in reducing seizures for children with treatment-resistant epilepsy. However, more research on dosing and pediatric pharmacokinetics is needed for widespread therapeutic use.

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Area of Science:

Neurology
Pharmacology
Cannabinoid Science

Background:

Epilepsy affects many children, with a significant portion resistant to conventional treatments.
The endocannabinoid system plays a role in epilepsy, and cannabinoids like CBD have demonstrated anticonvulsant properties.
Cannabis-based therapies have a long history of use for various conditions, including epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the efficacy of cannabis-based therapies, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), in treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children.
To evaluate the current evidence supporting the use of pharmaceutical-grade CBD and cannabis herbal extracts for pediatric epilepsy.

Main Methods:

Review of in vitro and in vivo studies on cannabinoid anticonvulsant properties.
Analysis of clinical studies, including randomized controlled trials and observational studies, on CBD and cannabis extracts in pediatric epilepsy.
Assessment of data on seizure frequency reduction and challenges in therapeutic application.

Main Results:

Both pharmaceutical-grade CBD and CBD-enriched cannabis extracts show benefits in reducing seizure frequency in treatment-resistant pediatric epilepsy.
Cannabis herbal extracts may offer greater efficacy, but supporting studies are often retrospective or small-scale.
Randomized controlled trials of pharmaceutical-grade CBD in Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes demonstrated efficacy comparable to other anticonvulsants.

Conclusions:

Cannabis-based therapies, especially CBD, are effective in managing treatment-resistant epilepsy in children.
Further research is required to establish appropriate dosing guidelines and understand pediatric pharmacokinetics for these therapies.
Challenges remain in the authorization and widespread clinical adoption of cannabis-based treatments for pediatric epilepsy.