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- Title
Medical cannabinoids in treatment-resistant epilepsy disorders.
- Authors
Razvi, Yasmeen; Chan, Stephanie; Lam, Henry; DeAngelis, Carlo; Chow, Edward; O'Hearn, Shannon
- Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that cannabinoid-based products provide therapeutic benefits to individuals with childhood-onset, treatment-resistant epilepsy (TRE) disorders. The most recent literature review on the topic was published in 2017 by O'Connell et al. which included 18 studies. A greater number of studies have been conducted on pediatric patients than adults, which have shown a general trend towards decreased seizure frequency following the use of cannabinoids. There is however, a unified recommendation to increase the number of randomized control trials (RCTs) investigating the safety and efficacy of this drug, particularly in adult TRE populations where high quality data is currently lacking. Since the release of this review, two additional RCTs assessing the effectiveness of cannabidiol (CBD) for childhood-onset TRE have been published and found cannabidiol to be effective in decreasing the incidence of seizures. Future studies should assess drug-drug interactions resulting from the use of cannabinoids in conjunction with standard antiepileptic regimens, as well as further assess other relevant safety measures. Furthermore, vulnerable subsets of these populations, including individuals with severe cognitive impairments should be included in future studies due to their present exclusion from the literature, along with patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Finally, the varying chemical profiles of cannabinoids should be compared to determine the most effective and ideal methods for optimization of their effects.
- Subjects
AGE factors in disease; COGNITION disorders; SEIZURES (Medicine); EPILEPSY; MEDICAL research; SPASMS; MEDICAL marijuana; DISEASE incidence; THERAPEUTICS
- Publication
Journal of Pain Management, 2018, Vol 11, Issue 4, p345
- ISSN
1939-5914
- Publication type
Article