Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have uncovered a potential breakthrough in autism prevention.
A new study, published in the journal Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health and also published online by the National Institute of Health, found that administering broad-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) oil during pregnancy may prevent the development of autism-like behaviors in male offspring exposed to maternal stress.
“Recently, the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased from 1 in 150 to every 1 in 36 children in the United States, warranting a need for novel prevention and therapeutic strategies”, states the study’s abstract. “Broad-spectrum cannabidiol oil, free from delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of cannabis, may be one such therapeutic. It has a high safety profile and is frequently used as a complementary and integrative intervention by persons experiencing symptoms of anxiety, stress, and inflammation.”
Using a neurodevelopmental rat model of ASD (based on neuroinflammation induced by stress and terbutaline exposure during pre- and postnatal development), researchers “sought to prevent the development of ASD-like behaviors in male offspring by administering broad-spectrum cannabidiol oil to dams throughout pregnancy (10 mg/kg, i.p., daily, embryonic days 3-16).”
To assess an ASD-like phenotype in the offspring, they used “three behavioral measures relevant to three core ASD symptoms: 1) social communication (time spent vocalizing when alone); 2) repetitive behavior (marbles buried during a marble burying test); and 3) social interaction (time spent interacting with a novel conspecific during the three-chamber social interaction test).”
Researchers found that “Broad-spectrum cannabidiol oil given during pregnancy decreased scores for all three ASD-related behavioral responses, resulting in an overall significant prevention of the ASD-like phenotype.”
They conclude; “These findings highlight the potential of broad-spectrum cannabidiol oil as a complementary and integrative approach for prevention of stressor-induced sequelae relevant to development of an ASD-like phenotype.”
You can find the full text of the study by clicking here.
