Study Finds CBD May Help Patients With Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome

The marijuana compound cannabidiol “may help manage patients with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome regarding seizure control and improve other aspects of the clinical spectrum of the disease”, according to new research.

The research was published in the recent issue of the journal Epileptic Disorders. It was conducted by researchers at the University of Rome and the University Hospital of Rome, and is titled Highly purified cannabidiol improves stability and postural tone in adult patients with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome: a case series.

Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) is a severe developmental epileptic encephalopathy associated with numerous neurological signs and symptoms, notes the study. Altered postural tone and the need for a caregiver-assisted wheelchair are features characterizing patients with LGS.

“Highly purified cannabidiol (CBD) is a novel antiseizure medication recommended for seizure treatment, in combination with clobazam, in patients with LGS”, states the study. “Adding CBD to the previous antiseizure medication treatment helps reduce seizure frequency, specifically drop seizures, in patients with LGS in both clinical trials and real-world studies.” However, “no data about drug effects on postural tone, motor activity, gait and stability are available.”

In this case series, adult patients diagnosed with LGS were treated with CBD as an add-on.

According to researchers, “During the follow-up, a slight improvement in seizure frequency was observed. Unexpectedly, an amelioration in postural tone and stability, measured using the validated Gross Motor Function Classification System, was also detected”.

Researchers conclude that “Our case series suggests that CBD may help manage patients with LGS regarding seizure control and improve other aspects of the clinical spectrum of the disease, such as postural tone and stability. The mechanisms at the basis of this improvement may be related, other than seizure reduction, to the drug’s effect on the brain locomotor centres, as demonstrated in animal model studies.”