Date of Award
Spring 2021
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)
Department
Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences
First Advisor
Zachary Weik, PA-C
Abstract
THE ROLE OF CANNABIDIOL IN THE TREATMENT OF PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY EPILEPSY
Author(s) and affiliations: Evan Chidley1, MMS (c), MPH (c)
1Arcadia University; echidley@arcadia.edu; (515) 201-6901
Introduction: Intractable epilepsy in children can significantly impair quality of life and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) do not adequately reduce seizures for all pediatric patients. Recently, cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main compounds of marijuana, has shown promise as a potential treatment for uncontrolled seizure activity. This paper poses the following question: In pediatric patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, is cannabidiol (CBD) more effective in reducing seizure activity than traditional anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) alone?
Methods: A systematic review was utilized to produce this evidence-based review article. Literature searches were performed using the PubMed database, Arcadia’s Landman Library EBSCO database, and Google scholar. Key words such as “refractory epilepsy”, “children”, “CBD”, and “cannabis” were included in the search terms. Exclusion criteria were non-human subjects and meta-analysis or systematic reviews. Seven of the most relevant articles were selected for critical analysis.
Results: The evidence collected by each of the studies demonstrated that CBD may be an efficacious add-on therapy for refractory epilepsy in pediatric patients. The majority of studies showed a statistically significant decrease in participant seizure activity during the treatment course. Other measures, such as the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy, also demonstrated improvement. The most common adverse effect was somnolence. None of the participants experienced serious adverse events.
Discussion: The majority of the studies found that the use of CBD led to a statistically significant decrease in seizure activity. Few of the studies utilized other outcome measurements, and most of the studies were vulnerable to bias. The most common issues included small sample populations, selection bias, and no blinding among researchers or participants. The efficacy of CBD is still unclear, but no negative health outcomes were recorded. The positive findings indicate that further, more rigorous research is recommended.
Conclusion: Cannabidiol has been described as having seizure-reducing effects as long ago as the 19th century, but there is little scientific evidence proving its efficacy. The seven studies reviewed in this article found significant improvement in seizure activity for those using CBD as an add-on therapy. Clinicians with access to medical marijuana can consider CBD in pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy. However, limitations in the studies are significant enough to warrant further research before CBD can be recommended as a standard of care.
Recommended Citation
Chidley, Evan, "The Role of Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Pediatric Patients with Refractory Epilepsy" (2021). Capstone Showcase. 91.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2021/pa/91
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Nervous System Diseases Commons, Pharmaceutical Preparations Commons
The Role of Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Pediatric Patients with Refractory Epilepsy
THE ROLE OF CANNABIDIOL IN THE TREATMENT OF PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY EPILEPSY
Author(s) and affiliations: Evan Chidley1, MMS (c), MPH (c)
1Arcadia University; echidley@arcadia.edu; (515) 201-6901
Introduction: Intractable epilepsy in children can significantly impair quality of life and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) do not adequately reduce seizures for all pediatric patients. Recently, cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main compounds of marijuana, has shown promise as a potential treatment for uncontrolled seizure activity. This paper poses the following question: In pediatric patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, is cannabidiol (CBD) more effective in reducing seizure activity than traditional anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) alone?
Methods: A systematic review was utilized to produce this evidence-based review article. Literature searches were performed using the PubMed database, Arcadia’s Landman Library EBSCO database, and Google scholar. Key words such as “refractory epilepsy”, “children”, “CBD”, and “cannabis” were included in the search terms. Exclusion criteria were non-human subjects and meta-analysis or systematic reviews. Seven of the most relevant articles were selected for critical analysis.
Results: The evidence collected by each of the studies demonstrated that CBD may be an efficacious add-on therapy for refractory epilepsy in pediatric patients. The majority of studies showed a statistically significant decrease in participant seizure activity during the treatment course. Other measures, such as the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy, also demonstrated improvement. The most common adverse effect was somnolence. None of the participants experienced serious adverse events.
Discussion: The majority of the studies found that the use of CBD led to a statistically significant decrease in seizure activity. Few of the studies utilized other outcome measurements, and most of the studies were vulnerable to bias. The most common issues included small sample populations, selection bias, and no blinding among researchers or participants. The efficacy of CBD is still unclear, but no negative health outcomes were recorded. The positive findings indicate that further, more rigorous research is recommended.
Conclusion: Cannabidiol has been described as having seizure-reducing effects as long ago as the 19th century, but there is little scientific evidence proving its efficacy. The seven studies reviewed in this article found significant improvement in seizure activity for those using CBD as an add-on therapy. Clinicians with access to medical marijuana can consider CBD in pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy. However, limitations in the studies are significant enough to warrant further research before CBD can be recommended as a standard of care.