A new study published in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior shows that CBD may reverse the behavioral impairments associated with autism spectrum disorder.
Researchers from the University of São Paulo and the Oswaldo Cruz Institute examined the effects of CBD on adult male mice exposed to valproic acid (VPA) during embryonic development, a model commonly used to study autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characteristics.
The study explored the impact of acute CBD treatment on mice subjected to various behavioral tests, including the Pre-Pulse Inhibition Test (PPI), Marble Burying, Social Interaction, the Actimeter Test, and the Novel Object Recognition Test (NOR). Results revealed that CBD significantly improved several behavioral deficits in VPA-exposed mice.
CBD at doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg reversed PPI impairments, indicating restored sensory-motor gating. In the Marble Burying test, a higher CBD dose (60 mg/kg) reduced repetitive, stereotypical behavior. Similarly, social interaction times improved at the same dose. However, CBD failed to mitigate all ASD-like behaviors, such as stereotyped movements measured in other tests.
In the NOR test, both doses of CBD reversed deficits in object recognition memory caused by VPA exposure.
“These findings suggest that acute CBD administration can ameliorate behavioral impairments associated with ASD in a well-established animal model for studying this neurodevelopmental disorder”, states the studty.
The research underscores the need for further investigation to determine the clinical applicability of CBD for treating autism-related impairments.
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